The National tribune., 1882-09-23
THE WAR OVER.
Suddenly Ended by the Capture Of Cairo and
Arabi'S Arrest.

minatiOn through the capture of Cairo and
the arrest of Arabi Pacha. General Wolseley
made his forward movement on the 18th inst,
when he assaulted Arabi's position at Tel-el-
Kebir, and carried it with rush, driving the
enemy before him like chaf and utterly ami
hilating the Egyptian army. MajOr-General
Mcpherson at once pushed on to ZagaZig, which
he occupied without difficulty, and on the fol-
lowing evening the English advance-guard ar
rived at Cairo by rail, and received its formal
submission. Arabi Pacha arrived at Cairo the
same evening, and was promptly arrested, as
was also his minister, Toulba Pacha.. 1t is not
known, as yet, whether he will be taken to
England or not. The Egyptians have evacu-
ated all their positions near Alexandria, and
the authority of the Khedive has been fully
re-established. The problem which still re-
mains to be solved is: "What will England do
with Egypt?" and the centre of interest here
after will therefore be COnstantinopIe, where
the conference of the Powers will deliberate
upon the question.
The following account of the decisive battle
at Tel-el-Kebi win be of interest to our vet
Grams.
THE BATTLE.
Preparations were made for the attack early
on the morning of the 18th inst. The first
move was short one being only to the sand
hills above the camp There the arms were
piled, and the men laid down on the sand Or
sat and chatted over the coming fight. At ono
o'clock word was passed round, and they again
fell in. Never did 1900 men get under arms
moro quietly. BY early dawn the troops ar
rived within thousand yards Of the enemy's
Al
the fighting lines to be formed and other prepa-
rations to be made The attack began OF the
left. Nothing could be imagined finer than
the advance OF the Highland brigade Tho
Seventy-fourth were next the canal. Next
were the Cameronians, and the Gordon High
landers continued the line, with the Black
Watch upon their flank. The Forty-sixth and
SiXtieth regiments formed second line.
THE HIGHLANDER's CHARGE.
Swiftly and silently the Highlanders moved
forward to the attack. No word was spoken,
no shot fired until within three hundred yards
of the enemy's earthworks Nor up to that
time did any sound in the Egyptian lines be-
token that they were aware of the presence of
their assailants. Then suddenly a terrific fire
flashed along the line of sand heaps. A storm
of bullets whizzed over the heads of the ad-
vancing troops. wild cheer broke from the
Highlanders, and in response the pipes struck
shrilly up, bayOnets were fixed, and at double
quick time they dashed forward. The first
line of intrenchments was carried, the enemy
scarcely offering any resistance. But from an
other line of intrenchments, behind which in
the still dim light one could scarcely see, q
burst of musketry broke out. For few min
utes the Highlanders poured a heavy fire, but
it was probably as innocuOus as that of the I'M
seen enemy whose bullets whistled harmlessly
over head. The delay in the advance was but
short. Then the order was given and the bri-
gade again went rapidly forward. Soon a por-
ton of the force had passed between the enc
mys redOubts and opened thanking FIRE. This
was too much for the Egyptians who took to
their heels and fairly ran, suffering, as tho
crowded masses rushed across the open, very
heavily from our fire, being literally moved
down by hundreds. Meanwhile fighting began
upon the other flank. The horse artillery
shelled the enemy's extreme left. Here the
Egyptians were more prepared than On their
right. For a time they kept up steady tirc
The Royal Irish were sent to turn the cnc.ay'S
left. At the word they dashed at the trenches
and carried them at the bayonet's point SO
turning the flank of the defenders of the posi-
ton. Next came the Eighty-eight regiment,
then the Eighty fourth, the Guards being close
up behind in support. These regiments ad-
vanced by regular rushes. For a short time
the enemy clung to their line of intrcnch-
mcnts, but their fire was singularly ineffective
and the British troops got fairly into the
4Io s.
few moments The combat was a hand to
hand one. Major Hart shot one man as he
was trying to wrest revolver from his hand.
This was even after the trench had been turned
by our advance on their flank. Then, as the
British poured in, the Egyptians fled as rapidly
as those upon the other side of the canal had
done before the Highlanders. The fight was
now practically over.
The Egyptians did not preserve the slightest
semblance of ORDER but fled confused rabble,
at the top of their speed. As we descended the
hill leading to Tel-el- -Kebir station we captured
the standing camp with immense stores of for
are and provisions. At the station were two
trains which were filled with 1ugitives who
managed to get away before the troops came
up Another engine, however, which was on
the point of starting was blown up by one of
our shells The victorious line of troops ad-
vanced cheering across the enemy's camp, and
halted at thestation where Sir Garnet WOlseley
soon after arrived. Immediately afterward
General Drury Lowe, with his staff, rode up,
having cut across the line of retreat of the fly
ing enemy 4 good many were killed by our
rifle and artillery fire.
THE PRISONERS.
Immense numbers threw their arms away
and delivered themselves up as prisoners. On
the bridge over the canal General WolSeley
dictated his orders to Generals MACPHERSON
and Lowe. The former was ordered to move
with the Indian brigade on Zagazig, the latter
70 continue the work of the total dispersion of
the enemy.
4 ride over the field after the battle shows
that tho enomy's loss WAS extremely heavy.
Indeed it is difficult to understand how so great
4 number of men have been killed Ill the bat
tie. which lasted but a brief hour. The enemy's
position consisted of lines of solid intrench-
ments bound together by wattles. 1t was four
miles long from flank to flank. At intervals
bastions mounted by guns, protected the front.
There were successive series of deep trenches
Mt right angles to the extreme left of their pO-
sition deep trench extends two miles to
the rear, behind which is another intreneh-
ment forming defense of the front line from