The Cecil Whig. [volume] (Elkton, Md.) 1841-current, 1883-12-08
HICKS PASHA'S DEFEAT.
CAMPAIGN IN THE SOUDAN-THE
FALSE PROPHETS CAREER.
O'Donovan, the Correspondent
with Hicks Pasha, and His
Last Letter.

Hicks Pasha, whose utter humiliation is
reported, was sent out in February last
by the Egyptian government to suppress
the instruction in the SOudan, which
was led by Ell Mahdi, the False Prophet.
The Arabs had fOcked to the standard
of the Prophet from all quarters, and
there was grave danger that the Soudan
would be wrested from Egypt by the
followers of Ell Mahdi. Gen. Hicks push
ed I'D the White Nile to khartoum, and
on April y he had an engagement with
the Prophet, defeating him, and killing
500 of his men. He followed up his
victory by pushing forward after the Ie-
treating rebels, and during the summer
succeeded in clearing the entire Province
of SEMINAR of the insurgents, and fore
ing Ell Mahdi to retreat into kordefan,
where he rallied around him, it was re-
ported, nearly 800, 600 fanatics, who be-
lieved fully in his claims to be the sue
cessor of Mohammed, and expected to
see his enemies swept away by the Di-
would be. Hicks Pasha, in the mean
time, having forced SEMINAR to return to
it's allegiance to Egypt, went back to
Khartoum to await reinforcements be-
fore pushing on to attack the Prophet in
his stronghold in kordofan.
On September :, Hicks Pasha was
reaoy to march, and on the following
morning, which was Sunday, he left
Khartoum on the expedition which has
resulted SO disastrously. He had with
him as European officers Colonel Far
quhar, chief of staff, Majors Warner,
Seckendorf, Massey, Evans and Surgeon
Major Rosenberg. His force consisted
of 1000 regular infantry, 400 cavalry. of
which 100 were cuirassiers and the rest
Bashi- Bazouks, battery of krupp guns,
two batteries of mountain guns and one
of Nordenfeldts. He expected to pick up
in the neighborbood of Berair 1000 reg
MAR infantry and about 900 Bash. Ba-
zo,kS. or Arabs. 50 that his force Of men
probably numbered about lo,oCn men.
He also took with hin j,G00 camtl> /"
carry provisions and water. Of his
Egyptian soldiers a great number had
been in the service of Arab Pasha, and
fears were expressed that they might
Join the rebels when the forces met.
Arabi's old regiment was among them,
but SO far as news has yet been received
these men were as true to Hicks Pasha
as any of his soldiers.
The expedition entered the Province of
kordofan at Ghebel Musa on September
12, four days after leaving khartoum,
having marched AZ miles in that time be-
meath a broiling sun. The country be-
fore them to be traversed was fiat, sandy
plain, thickly studded with the thorny
mimosa, and relieved by few low bar
rem hills. Before leaving Khartoum it
was decided to establish line of forti-
fled posts as the march proceeded, in Or
der to maintain communication with the
base of supplies on the Nile. The Gov
ernor-Gencral reported, however, that
many of the Arab tribes which fled ON
the approach of the expedition returned
to the line of march after its passage,
and in view Of this it was found difficult
| to induce small bodies of soldiers to act
as escorts for stores between the posts.
The plan was therefore abandoned, and
the army marched into the enemy's
country, cut off from its base of supplies
and depending for subsistence on go
days rations of biscuits carried by the
camels and such provisions as it might
capture on the road. Under these cir.
cumstances, and with the intense heat to
be combated, much loss from sickness
was to be expected, but the expedition
pressed on along the circuitous water
route of the Nile toward Ell Obeid, which
the False Prophet had already captured,
and where it was expected the decisive
action would take place. When Duem
was reached, on September 26, there was
still distance of $50 miles, good
months march, to be made before Ell
Obeid would be reached, and water was
becoming scarce, what little there was
being found on the surface in the ground
depressions. Great precautions were
taken on the line of march, as it was re-
ported that the enemy, Il, 900 strong, was
close by when Duem was reached, and
Hicks Pasha was constantly expecting
treachery on the part of the Arabs. The
army moved in three columns, prepared
to form a square instantly, with the
camels in the centre, the guns in front,
, and the Nordenfeldts at the angles.
, When camping square was always
formed, and when possible zereeba OF a
| dense abatis of thorny bushes, was FORM
f ed around the troops. Each soldier was
provided with four crows feet, which, in
case of a sudden attack, he had been
drilled to throw to distance in front to
, check the assailing forces.
On September 81 the expedition left
| Duem, and in the next three days they
pi essed on 80 miles to the southwest, the
struggling followers of the False Prophet
, flying before them and sweeping the
country bare of cattle and everything
that could be eaten. The water now be.
gan to become scarce, and men and cam.
els began to succumb to the intense heat.
? The uncut harvest supplied ample forage
; for the animals, but the troops were
forced to eat nothing but biscuit, which
f is not a diet calculated to increase the
martial spirit or strengthen the martial
, legs, and during the next ten days an ad.
: vance Of only Is miles was made to the
= southwest toward Ell Obeid. At this
point-Camp Sange Hamferid-the ex.
, petition was lost sight of, and no direct
news from it had been received up to
3 Thursday. 1t was reported on Novem'
Der that Hicks Pasha had defeated the
a Prophet on the Khor-el-Nil, torrent,
three leagues from Ell. Obeid, and had
y killed 5000 of his men. The story was
! told by an Arab who reached Khartoum,
but it was never confirmed by any direct
news from the expedition, and was gen.
orally disbelieved.
HISTORY OF THE ARAB REVOLT.
Five years ago the Arab chief now
= known as Ell Mahdi, who was a petty
! prince of one of the tribes below Kordo.
t fan withdrew himself from his followers