Savannah morning news. [volume] (Savannah) 1868-1887, 1883-11-24
HICKS PASHA'S MASSACRE
LED WITH HIS STAFF TO DEATH
BY A TREACHEROUS GUIDE.
Cairo Almost at Eel Mahdis Merey-The
whole Force Annihilated and Soudan
AbIaze-NO Force Available to Pit
Against the Rebels-The Comments of
the English Press


tween Suakim and Berber, and thus
maintaining communication with Khar.
toum. Edmund O'DOnovan, correspond.
ent of the Daily Ne,es, recently wrote a
private letter in which he said that he
had sad misgivings as to the result of the
SOudan expedition.
A Cairo dispatch states that orders
have been sent to the British Admiral
! commanding the East Indian Station to
| support Egyptian interests in the Red
Sea. He will be reinforced by gunboats
from the Mediterranean squadron.
The Daily NeaoS, in its leading
editorial discussing Egyptian affairs,
surrender the idea of attempt
ing to reach ElObeid or of pursuing an ag-
gressive conflict with Ell Mahdi. and saws
that the game of conquest in Central
Africa is not worth either the great pecu-
mary cost or the terrible risk to human
life involved.
This mornings Post says: sWe are
struck with amazement at the singular
shOrt-SightednesS and want of prescience
exhibited by Her Majesty's government
in wishing to withdraw British troops
from Egypt at such juncture."
The Standard submits that it is quite
clear that this is no time to withdraw
troops from Egypt.
The Daily Telegraph thinks that British
military prestige alone can arrest the
progress of Ell Mahdi's arms.
Inc Times says: ''We cannot believe
that Premier Gladstone will blindIv Der
sist in weakening the small British force
now in Egypt. The broad highway of the
Nile Valley is now open to victorious
fanatics. What is there to prevent the
garrisons and populations at advanced
posts yielding to the tempting promises
of El Mahdi. Premier Gladstone and his
colleagues must understand that England
will hold them answerable if by further
errors of Judgment Egypt is allowed to
relapse into anarchy, aggravated by the
passion of religious fanaticism and the
maddenlng influence of invasion by the
barbarism of the interior of Africa.
A correspondent at Cairo says that un-
less very speedy action is takenit is feared
that Suakim will fall into the hands of
the tribes in revolt acting in concert with
El Mahdi. The latter is thought to be
near khartOum. If that place should
be captured there would be no good
defensible position between Ell Mahdi
and Cairo except Minich, which is only
six hours distant from Cairo. No one
believes that Ell Mahdi will rest content
with the conquest of Soudan. 1t is feared
that Turkey will interfere and insist on
reconquering the lost province. Neither
the English nor the French wish this.
The prospect thus brstles with serious
complications. Another report of the fight
says that Ell Mahdi sent Dervishes To treat
with Hicks Pasha and native officers,
saying to the Egyptians: "We, like YOU,
are Mussulmans. Why fight? Surren-
der" The Dervishes were received by ;r
volley, and then the battle commenced.
Four thousand soldiers who are now scat
tered along the small forts in the Nile
will be concentrated at KhartOum. where
there are already 1000 troops. Altogether
there are from 10000 to to 10000 soldiers
in Soudan. The following officers were
with the expedition: Col. Farquhar, Chief
| of staff, Mais. Warner, Seckindoff Evans
and Massey, Capts. Heath and Walker.
Surgeon Major Rosenberg, Lieut.. Coils.
Osborne and Costlogan and MAJ. Martin.
The latter commanded the cavalry.
A special dispatch from Khartoum,
| dated November 20, says that the most
| trustworthy sheikS i'll the service of the
| government who arrived at DOuen yes
| terday report that 1000 men, including
! Hicks PaSha, the Governor General and
! his entire staff were annihilated in de-
| file at kashgate, whittier they were led
| by treacherOus guide on the morning of
| November l. Hicks Pasha and his entire
| army marched from Milbas. The guide
led them to a rocky, wooded defile.
| which was without water, and
where an ambuscade had been prepared
| by the rebels, who were armed with rifles
and artillery. Hicks Pasha was unable
| to use his guns for three days. The army,
worn out by thirst, defended itself, but on
the fourth day it was annihilated to a
man. The rebels captured thirty-siX
! Krupp, Nordenfeldt and Gountain guns.
! all the flags, munitions of war, and the
camels.
| With Hicks Pasha, besides those before
mentioned, were Surgeon Gen. Georges
| Bey, Capt. Anatyaga, Morris Brady, late
Sergeant Major of the Royal Horse Ar
| tillery, and certain pashas and beys,
| in all about 1900 officers. Kordofan is
| virtually lost. Col. Costlogan was at
| Douen when the sheiks arrived there.
| He at once proceeded to KhartOum, which
| he is arranging to defend. He is also ar
ranging to suppress an expected revolt
| by calling in all the outlying garrisons.
| Col. CostlOgan and your correspondent
are the sole surviving Englishmen in Sou
dan. The entire SOudan is in a blaze
| The army will retreat to Berber if possi-
| ble. 1t cannot muster 1900 regulars all
! told. The population of Khartoum is dis
! affected, and a crisis there is expected.
Col. Costlogan, who was with Hicks
Pasha, has sent a telegram from Khar-
| toum to Sir Evelyn Wood, commander of
! the British troops, confirming the pre-
viOus report of the disaster to Hicks
| Pasha's army. He says that the
whole country has risen. The Gov
ernment asked Baker Pasha to
| send 1000 gendarmes to Suakim
to help clear the desert, but Baker Pasha
refused to send them, thinking they were
required in Upper Egypt. 1t is stated
| that Turkey has offered to send 90
| 900 troops to re-establish Mussui-
man authority in Soudan. In
tense excitement prevails every
where in Egypt. The county is
not safe above the second cataract of the
| Nile. The Khedive has ordered an evacu-
| alton of the military posts on the Blue
| Nile and the White Nile. Troops from
! the posts on the former river will be
massed at Sennaar, and those from
| the posts on the latter at Khar-
! tOum. The three principal officers
at Khartoum have beenordered to consult
and adopt defensive measures. If neces-
| sary SEMINAR is to be abandoned, and the
| troops are to be massed at Khartoum. All
| recognize the necessity of Immediately
| reopening the road between Suakim and
| Berber.
Her Majesty's gunboat Coquette has
| been ordered to the Red Sea- A Paris
| correspondent says that portion of the
| French press now expresses delight at
| the defeat of Hicks Pasha because it is
| said that the success of the section of the
| Mussulman barbarians in Egypt threat
ems England's Indian empire, and France,
| by force of events, will be called upon to
| assume her old position in Egypt.
| PARIS, Nov. 23.-Le Temps says that a
Frenchman named SOutier organized the
forces of Ell Mahdi. 1t states that Sontier,
after the bombardment of Alexandria
went to khartoum without any definite
| object in view, and that he subsequently
met El Mahdi and gained his confidence.
| VIENNA, Nov. 23.-Die PresSe pub
fishes a recent letter from Major Secken-
dOrf, who was with Hicks Pasha and his
10000 men when they were annihilated.
In the letter Major SeckendOrf depicts
the miseries of the troops owing to the
scarcity of water. Ell Mahdi, lie wrote,
| possessed 10000 breech-lOading rifles. IA
guns and numerous excellent cavalry,
| and his adherents were possessed of
fanaticism, and would fearlessly ride to
death. Hicks Pasha had 10000 men. 6. 600
camels and many pack horses and mules.
The baggage proved a great impediment.
The letter concludes as follows: "If our
cavalry suffces for outpost duty success
| is possible; otherwise, the issue will be
very disastrous. If we are defeated not
a soul will return, and the entire Soudan
viii be irretrievably lost, since all the
natives will believe that FL Madhi is the
| Messiah
Killed at a Crossing by a Train.
PHILADELPHIA, Nov. 23.-An express
train on the Pennsylvania Railroad ran
| into wagon at the Seventeenth street