The home journal. (Winchester, Tenn.) 1858-188?, 1884-04-09
BATTLE SCENES AT TEB.
How the False Prophets Arnbs
Fought tho British Soldiers

A correspondent present at the battle OF
Teb, says: SO hOtly do the Arabs press for
ward that the troops pause in their steady
advance 1t becomes a hnndto-hand fight
the soldiers meeting the Arab spear with cold
steel, their favorite weapon, and dbeating tbem,
at 1t, There is not much shouting, and only
II short, sharp exclamation, brief shout, or
an oath as the soldiers engage with their foes.
At THIS critical moment, for tho enemy aro
rushing up thicky, the Gardner guns open
fire, and their lcadcn hail soon decides tho
matter. At this instant Admiral Hewets
who, with Mr.. Levison, his private secretary,
is present as spectator, joins tho Naval
brigade and leads them on over the dead
bodies Of the Arabs, lying thckly strewn on
their front, into the work, which proves tO
be but bank of sand. Colonel Burnaby
here has his horse shot under him, and
bullet passes through his arm.
Still with the double-barIcled fowline
piece he carries he knocks over tho
Arabs who assail him But they press on,
and hc is only saved from being spcared by
one of the Gordan llighlandcrs bayoncting an
Arab who attacks him when both barrels OF
his gun are empty. Several fierce personal
encounters take place M the troops rush into
the entrcnchmcnts Tho first feeling Of ner-
vousncss has passed away, their blood sup
now and the enthusiasm of battle IL upon
them. Moro and more shrill the pipes skirl
out, and the men are eager 10 close with tho
foe As single Arabs rush down the brave
soldiers step singly forward from the ranks
and meet, bayonet to spear, in almost every
instance vanquishing them by the bayonet
alone, without firing. A soldier who had
single-handed engaged two of the enemy
would have got the worst Of II had not Cap
tain Wilson, of the Hecla, come to hrs mid
| and run one Of his nSSailants through tho
body, breaking his own sword and receiv.,
| ing n wound across the face as no di'l
| so. Sharp as the fight Il, II lasts but minute
or two after the troops have passed over the
sand bank The work contains ono krupl
| gun, which, of course, falls into our hands
The bush grows thickly all about where We
| are now formed up, and numbers oil th'
enemy are lying concealed in it. These con
stantiy leap to their feet aud rush at u.s. singly
or by twoS and thrccs, with fnnatical vnlor
often coming on till they fall dead almost at
the muzzlcS Of the rifles. During tho matt the
I cavalry have moved round behind us, and
we can now sec them advancing toward q
large mass of the enemy, who are making on
| in the distance. They nrr manifcStly quicken
ing their pace. Faster and inster they go;
their sabres are flashing in the sunlight, ana
they dash into the mass of the enemy. kght
through them they cut their way, and then
turn sharp back again. The Arabs do not
fly, but stand aud fight stubbornly AMI gal
lantly, displaying as much courage as against
the infantry Again and again they arc dis
pcrsed but each time they gather together as
| the horscmcn come on, ANA inc cavalry
although cutting down many, go byn no means
scathleSs through them.
Old soldiers To whom | have spoken on the
spot said they never met u more rosoluto io'
in the course Of all their service. The seen,
of tho battlefield, which again rode over oi
Saturday, justified this description OF savag
yalor. The walls of FL Teb arr protected b.
two caIth-works and n semi circular line q
cn,rcnchmcnts, including the rifle pits, whlc
had been dug wide and deep behind ever
bush, aud which each contained II number q
spcarsmen. The entertainments and pits wcr
literally crammcd with dead bodies, man
already half buried in the sand. The ObjeC
Of the defenders was 10 spring w suddenly o
the advancing line and in the cOnfusio
causcl by their sudden appearance and rush
10 break inside the square. Had weadvance'
upon their front they might have had som
chance Of more or less partial success; but th
Arahs, attacked in their rear, were them
selves surprised Judging from what saw
; shoud think the estimate Of 2,0N killed ~
the site ot the enemy rutnrr unucr than owe
the mark The space inside the intrencl
mcnts was thickly strewn with bodies, esp,
cially about the few ruined brick buildings
; Near the building which Colonel Burnab
helped clear with his doubebaireled riil
charged with buckshot, | counted among
y great heap of bodies those of seven boys, nc
II one Of whom was more than twelve. The
+ fought as desperately even ns tho adult
L Some time after the battle, and when u
troops were searching about the mclosure,
l. youth lying unobscryed among II crowd
& dead and dying started up, and rushed with
l. drawn knife on two of our men, who, taxi
= nback ran for some distance, and then, tur
s ing around, shot him. The adventure caus
d brief commotion in the camp, for mo
might be lurking unseen. At some dstan
|. outside an Arab sprang like cat upon 4
d back of one of our soldiers, and tried to C
Il his throat An officer rushing up pistol,
4 the Arab through the heart, barely in time
g save the soldiers life