, 1884-04-12
THE CHARGE AT TEB.
Graphic Description of the valoe
and Endurance OF the Ara BIS.
The spear and the Dayonet Clash I'm
Hand-ts-Hnnd struEgIe---
Beaten but Not Con-
quered.
IPal Mall Gazetta

[Pall Mall Gazette.l
Mr.. Cameron gives the following graphic
description OF the battle of Teb when the
British troops were ordered forward:
The Arabs cease firing Us wo approach.
They put aside their rifles and gr asp their
spears. Still they lie quiet until we are
within "A few yards OF their wall; then they
rush out and fling themselves straight at our
bayonets- They make the charge almost stimuli
taneously on two sides OF tho square, and az
from tho change OF direction the flank OF the
square Is now its front, the brunt of the on
set falls on the Black Watch, the Sixty-hf
and the Naval brigade. The enemy do not
como on in masses, but in groups of thlrtieI
and twenties, sometimes of threes and twos.
sometimes alone. They dash forward against
our ranks with polished spear, but not a man
reaches tho line of bayonets, for one and all
aro swept away before the terrible FIRE of
musketry which breaks out us they rush for
ward.
HAND-To-HAND FIGHT.
For a moment, ON the other side Of the
square, the matter seems to DO in doubt. SO
boldly do the Arabs press forward that tho
troops pause in their steady advance. It be-
comes a band-to-hand fight, tho soldiers
meeting the Arab spear with cold steel, their
favorite weapon, and Boating them at it.
There Is not much shouting, and only a short,
sharp exclamation, a brief shout, or an oath
as the soldiers engage with their foes At
this critical moment, for the enemy are
rushing up thickly, the Gardner guns open
fire, and their leaden hail soon decides mat
tens.
Several force personal encounters take
place as the troops rush into tho entrench-
mentS The first feeling of nervousness has
passed away, their blood is up, and the en-
thusinsm of the battle is on them; moro and
more shrill tho pipes skirl out, and the men
are 0agor to close with tho foe. As single
Arabs rush down, the bravo soldiers stop
singly from the ranks, and meet, the bayonet
to spear, In almost every instance vanquish-
ing them with tho bayouet alone without
firing. A soldier who had single-handed en-
gagged two Of the enemy, would have got
tho worst of it had not Capt. Wilson, one of
the Hecla. como to his MD and run one of his
assailarts through tho body, breaking his
own sword, and receiving n wound across his
face as ho did 80. Sharp RS tho fight Is, it
lasts but n minute or two after the troops
have passed over tho %sandbank. Tho work
contains one Krupp gun, which of course
falls into our hands.
AT IT AGAIN.
A halt was now called, and an endeayor
made to reform the square which had been
somewhat broken in the tight The enemy
Aho "a JNb NJ ihea TINT Luey were Deutel,
they had lost one position but were still full OF
fight The British being right now in rear of
their main position around tho Wells of Teb,
they fell to work and moved around two
Of the Krupp guns from its front face aud
opened u hot fro with these us well as with
their muskeary. Numbers OF the enemy who
were lying concealed in the bush leaped to
their feot and rushed at the British troops
singly or by twos or threes, with a fanutical
valor, often coming on till they fell dead al
most at the muzz,e5 Of tho rifles.
At this moment, says Tho Times GORE
spondent, who seems to have accompanied the
cavalry, news came that Col. Webster, who
with the third line had followed closely but
had turned TO tho right, was no lvily a
tackled. Troops, leE nbOut!' was SCUM led
Immediately, and Gen. Barrows' une, which
had been tho second, now bscamo the frs. in
the returning formation. The cnomy soon
appeared in great force, some mounted, some
on foot, all spearmeu.
Soon camo the order to charge; this was
about 1910. On went Col. Barrow, his saaad.
ron as regular as If on parade, but no had a
dangerous enemy to meet Neither horse
men nor footmon showed tho faint
est vestigo OF fear or indecision. Tho men On
foot lay In shelter of tho hillocks and
mounds of sand. which, though small to the
eye, were effective, and rising as tho horses
leaped over them or swerved aside drove
homo their heavy spears, throwing them
where they were unable to reach their foe by
hand. The spears are Zllu asse sias in form,
sxcept that being weighted with u roll OF
iron at the extreme end OF the shaft they
have n greater momentum aud piercing
powoT.
Some thirty horsemen rode with full force
and boldly against the whole advancing
squadron, not a sign Of tropidntion any.
whore among them. Three came safely
straight through, and, undismayed either BY
the shock they had survived or tho equal
peril imminent from the second limo sweep.
down upon them, wheeled their horses, which
they wero riding barebacked, with wonder.
full rapidity, and actually heSitated not to
hunt in full pursuit tho squadrons whose SUI.
Perior power they had 50 narrowly escaped.
l do not think they survived to boast of their
proves but the tussle became a tough one
and obscure in some OF its details.
CLEARING THE GROUND.
1t was now (Mr. Cameron says l o'clock.
The duel between our artillery and that Of
the enemy ceases; and, as the enemy will not
attack W., we move down against the posi-.
ton In the same order as we were before.
w .-l Ia