The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1882-10-01
An ARMY or COvARDS.
The Egyptian Troops-Uow they Fled in
Previous Wars and Wcro Butchered- |
Causes of their Poitroonery-ArabIB hey.

vice Of the late Khcdive, lsmaiI Pasha. AS. an
Cairo with ny family. was daily intimate, as;
sha1ss, a. shiSi q lie TEirG sssIicS; Of The
warrior son, ,i6raLim Pasha. Egypt has entirely
tho EgynilpYn troops under Raul pasha made
Of the sa%ais WITH tbs sihse s eHeep TOM
been most ina s If fa to ncsa Sny
attending the abortive attempts ut conquest
a Abyssnia during the years 1916 and 1876.
who participated in those inglorious under
iakings, and knows whereof he speaks.
Col. Arendrup. II Danish officer in the service
OF the Khcdivc He commanded II column Of
troops Of all arms. numbering about 5000 men,
wei organized. well drilled Well armed. and
Te ssS in 1YsT G and ss the Gy
force engaged was literally wiped out OF OK
istence;, Only few desperaiely wounded.
dead by their ruthless. foes. wero tho survivors
OF that bloody fight, These wrettchcd sufferers.
carnage. hid themselves BY day in the caves
and jungles fed ON wild fruits and berries.
dragged iheir, fostering limbs along at night.
alter ate the battle. and tod the horrible tale
TO wipe out this disgrace and ayenge this
bered fully 10000 men. equally as well APP
pointed in all RESPECTS MS the other force. was
sinian plateau without resistance. and about
1900 Of them Mt one time We're engaged with
he n9rds I Of Rng Th mt on az that met inc
the two forts which formed the TANKS of their
position haye NO inte , ton Of giving a de
the Egyptian troops. the position occupied
they were Oh an open. nearly Lowell plain. them.
Ihsy were s sSaie1n5ay easipped , Tl,6 Es ;'I
howit1ers. English steel guns, and German
cavalry was mngnihccntly mounted and per
fectly armed; they were commanded by the
and his best officers they had some dozen or
more American and European staff officers to
encourage them ekhort them ana ;,aa set them hnl
s1uarely in front with his host Of naked, bare
footed. bare-headed warriors. who had but few
ing military. in fact. but courage. And yet. in
one hour. and a, half, all of 1000 troops who
full. were killed or captured by the Abyss inians.
WHO rushed upon them with sword and spear
ana ,b ana rb "ss i ths ssHep M
This bare statement of facts makes comment
unnecessary. How it all happened it is diff
cult to tell. Col. Dye, who Was in the battle.
wrote a book to explain it, but did not sue
coed. l think. even to his. own satisfaction:
Why it so happened is easier to answer. and
the answer is this: the Egyptians will not cam
not fight. A disaster equally complete. but on
u smaller scale. occurred 10 a column Of E.yp
tian troops under Munzinser Pasha. nearly
contemporaneousy with the Arcndrup tragedy.
country to cooperate with Arendrup. and when
several days journey from TaJurrah was
utsiy Fan annihinisd. The writer saw one Of the
victims of this catastrophe. who ESCAPED be-
fatal. He % was an officer Of engineers va ""''
The events thus briefly, epitomized plainly
demonstrate the lack q lighting qualities Of
arises. Why are they thus utterly worthless as
soldiers? That question i il the main object
Of soldiers in the ranks Of the EGYPTIAN army.
The smaller class consists of Nubians. Oar
Si Many; in fact it is said that most Of
them. are slaves. ither taken or bought from
the regular siaye hunters and traders OF the
ismail. by being placed IN tho army, How
ever recruited they constituted thu. only fight
puisn. and they were vastly inferior 10 the
colored troops q the Union army during the
tiles: they are strong. hardy blc-hodicd men.
can stand heat and hard work and long marches
learn the routine duties Of military life readily
aud perhaps under good officers might make
fairly good soldiers. a.,
villages and fields OF the lower delta. These
isaiieen are the most abJect slaves and have
been 50 for hundreds OF years. They are not
slaves of single owner who. would he rospon-
slhIe for their welfare. and would profit by
former slaves 81 the South. They are the
slaves of the soil upon which they live, and Of
f life than hsy from their own I to
the Khedive, Every enendi. hey. and pasha
wn %sem a hiy upon in SSna' iRy
beings from himself calls them habiiualiy
cs aSd boats senS them of d al tn4 klein n
consequence of this bad treatment. and by
heredity., they are low. mean cowardly. and
earth. And the manner in which they are
drafted into tho army and tho way they are
IN the least mpr"ye II l They are drasge o
from their fields while at work or snatched
from their mud nuts t eh@ined toG Sd in
t entI in " close mprisonment unit, they are are
drilled and uniformsd. They are not allowed
sion for their families or even to bid their
wive. and children farewell, when the timo for
sergeants lay hands upon them. it is AS il a
sudden and terrible death had claimed them.
and they are n"nrned and wept over by friends
and relatives rs II they were dead.
Once become soldiers. and branded as it were
by the uniform. cscape from the ranks until
ton is generally punished by death. even in
time Of peace. They are treated by their Off
masters in the fields. The courbash is the
instrument of punishment for every trivial
onennGG, in spiIn Of The fact that hosgng is
soldier WHIPPED by hi, company officers. from
Sergeant TO CAPTAIN, but even the subaltern
officers are subjected to the same indig-
nifty by their Supporters. Tho writer once saw
Lieutenant held down by two men of his
own company. while his Colonel beat him I'M
mcr'itully with Il walking cnno. When the
beating was finished by the bcy's becoming oN
hau-trd the Lieutenant arose. took of his
swor, and handed it to his superior. and said:
You have Il ,ra,ed me in the presence OF my
own men: am no longer worthy to be an OIL
Ger put me in the ranks" For this, the only
manly ac, | ever Witnessed among these peo-
pie the Lieutenant was charged with insubor-
dinntou and mutinous conduct, was tricd by
court martial wa, sentenced 10 be shot. and
saw the sentence put into execution
No wonder. then. that such II people-so
treated when in civil lie that every spark Of
manhood Is crushed out of them. and 40 abused
"a soldiers that they have not even the courage
of n crushed worm which strives to sting the
heel II IT., dcStruyrr-no wonder such people
will not fight. And the ingorious termination
of Arab pasha's wretched attempt at revolt
ton is hut the legitimate result OF his and
his dnludrd followers anicc"d"nts No one
who knew him and his people mad any doubt
how the affair would end from its very in
cpirncy. / made Arahi's acquaintance in
| AbvsSnia. He was then "A l.'rulennnt- Colonel
| After the Egyptian army was defeated bv King
! John Arab was made AN envoy. and sent to
| the King with presents andh1he>, ana PROPOSE
| tipns for peace. lie was So FAR successful in
| his mission tina, KIM John gave the Egyptian