The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1884-03-01
THE ROUr OF BAKER.
Graphic Description of the Cowardice OF the
Egyptian Troops.

Graphic Description of the Cowardice OF the
Egyptian Troops.
Correspondence london Times.
Leaving 500 men to defend the camp Baker
Pasha marched out with two Cairo and Alexan-
dria battalions, 1900 strong. They were fol
lowed by the four Krupp guns and the two
mitrailleuses, and then by 900 Benziger blacks
and the Massowahs and Soudanese. The whole
force, including the cavalry, about 1000
sheep, and that of the enemy about 200. The
march was in the form of hollow square, in o
closing the guns and baggage-the Alexandria
battalion forming the front, the Cairo one the
left the ATassowah blacks the right, and the
Benzigers the rear face.
This grand square was fanked by two smaller
squares of 400 Turks in one, and equal num-
Der of Soudanese blacks in the other. In front
we're the Egyptian cavah.-, and behind the cav
dry Baker Pasha and his staff.
In this order the army marched three miles,
when small bodies of the Arab enemy appeared
on rising ground They were scattered by
shells from the Krupp guns. A few minutes
later small bodies of Arabs, mounted on horses
and camels, appeared on the right flank, and the
cavalry charged them, pursuing them wildly,
until control of the cavalry was lost The flank
ing scouts by this time had become hotly en-
gagged, and were soon galloping back in great
disorder, pursued by several hundred Arabs.
AT the sight of these furious Arabs, the Egyptian
flock of sheep were so panic stricken that it was
impossible to do anything The square, not per-
fectly formed, irretrievably broken. And
here follows the eyewitness description of the
ensuing scene:
immediately the Egyptian cavalry broke in
upon Baker Pasha and his staff. Baker Pasha
rode back towards the square with the Egyp-
ijan cavalry, who were in wild confusion, all
around him. The gun which the General had
ordered to the front with him to shell the enemy
in the distance. was galloped back half the dis
tauce toward the square. but then was caught up
by the rebels on foot and horseback who speared
the gunncrs in moment, the latter Offering no
resistance. The enemy charged on against the
Alexandria battalion. the men of whom were
firing wildly in the air. on the ground, and into
their own friends, doing even among those
friends bat little execution. As the rebels APP
proachad the Alexandria battalion it broke,
the men turned their backs on the adj
yancing foe and, in paroxysm of ter
TOR. fired into the square OF fell on their
knees praying for mercy The Krupp gun in
IL s1uare had not even been brought into ac-
1icn. Lhe drivers having been unable to get the
ni'.cs TO wheel 10y reason of the panic reigning
among the Egyptian regiments. Capt Walker
hat however, aided by his Europeans. brought
ljs t;ailines into play and working them
npb!y. As Gen. Baker and his staff rode down
6 right flank of the square they were under a
eavg fre from the Massowah blacks whose fire
vas. ho~-ever so misdirected that only one of
le s:an WAS shot by them. This was Lieut..
ia, i.ieri, an Austrian officer, who had volun
tacred as a scout. AS / came down this side of
he square I saw this officer struggling beneath
Is Sc the saddle Of which had turned under
he lily / reached the end Of the Soudanese
NE and somehow entered the square. Here the
ate Of affairs almost indescrbable. Caval-
" infantry, mules, camels, falling baggage and
wing men were crushed into a struggling,
sDr-ing mass. Men We're loading and firing into
tic air or into one another, without aim OBJ
jcet: all were madly shrieking and groaning in
abiect terror, hardly attempting to run away,
but struggling madly to shelter themselves one
behind another, and passing into the center Of
the square, shriels and prayers, soldiers below
ing, cames' screams mules and horses joining
in the deafening noise. the firing and hooting Of
the rebels added hdeously to the horror of the
scene in the square.
"All this time the rebels were increasing in
pumber, and on the edges of the square they