The Middlebury register and Addison County journal. [volume] (Middlebury, Vt.) 1883-1885, 1884-04-04
BATTLE SCENES AT TEB.
How the False Prophets Arabs
EOught tho E2ritish SpIdicrs.

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 hand-to-hand fight
the soldiers meeting the Arab spear with cold
steel, their favorite weapon. and beating 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 pen
fire. and their leaden hail soon decides the
matter At this instant, Admiral Hewet5
who, with Mr.. Levison, his private secretary,
is present as II spectator. joins the Naval
brigade and leads them on over the dead
bodies of the Arabs lying thicllly strcwn 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-barreled fowling
piece he carries he knocks over the
Arabs who assail him. But they press on
and he is only saved from being speared by
one Of the Gordan HiShlanders bayoneting an
Arab who attacks him when both barrels of
his gun are empty. Several fierce personal
| encounters take place as the troops rush into
the entertainments The first feeling of ner-
vousness has passed away, their blood is up
now and the enthusiasm Of battle is upon
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. bayonot to spear, i'll almost every
instance vanquishinG thcm by the bayonct
alone, without firing. \ soldier who had
single-handed engaged two OF the enemy
! would have rot the worst of it had not Cap
/ tain Wilson, of the Hecla, come To ms aid
/ and run one of his assailants through the
body, breaking his own sword and rcceiN-
/ inr a wound across the face as he did
So Sharp as the fight is, it lasts but minute
or two after the troops haye passed over the
I sand bank. The work contains one kruDp
| cum which, of course. falls into our hands.
| The bush grows taickly all about where we
are now formed up and numbers of the
| enemy are lying concealed in it, These con-
stantly leap to their feet and rush at us, sngly
/ or by twOs and threes, with tanatlcal Valor,
often coming on till they fall dead almost at
the mllzzles of the rifles During the halt the
cavalry have moved round behind us, and
we can now see them advancing toward II
/ largo mass of the enemy, who are making oil
in the distance. They are manitoStly quicken
ing their pace Faster and faster they 60;
their sabreS are flashing in the sunlight. and
they dash iato the mass of the enemy. Right
through them they cut their way, and then
turn sharp back again Tho Arabs do not
fly. but stand and fight StubbOrny and gal
lantly, displaying as much courage as against
the infantry. Again and again they are dis
persed but each time they gather o5cther as
the horsemen come on; and the cavalry,
although cutting down many so by no means
scathleSS through them
Old soldiers to whom have spoken on the
spot said they never met n more resolute foe
in the course of all their service. The scene
of the battlefield, which | again rode over on
Saturday justified this description of savage
valOr. The walls of FL Ieb are projected by
two carth-Works and sami-circular line OF
entertainments, including the rifle pits, which
had been dug wide and deep behind every
bush, and which each contained number OF
speaTSmen. The entertainments ANA pits were
literally crammed with dead bodies, many
already half buried in the sand. The object
OF the defenders was TO spring up Suddenly on
the advancing line. and in the confusion
caused By their sudden appearance and rush,
to break inside the square. Had we advanced
upon their front they might have had some
chance of more or less partial success; but the
Arabs attacked in their rear, were them
selves surprised. Judging from what | saw,
! should think the estimate of 1000 killed on
the side of the enemy rather under than over
the mark. The space inside the mtrench-
meuts was thckly strcwn with bodies, espe-
cially about the few ruined brick buildings
b. Near the building which Colonel Buinaby
helped clear with his double-barreled rifle
charged with buckshot | counted among 4
great heap of bodies those Of seven boys, not
1 one of whom was more than twelve. They
fought as desperately even as the adults
Some time after the battle, and when the
| troops were searching about the Enclosure,
5 youth lying mobseryed among IA crowd O
) dead and dying started up, and rushed with ;
: drawn knife ON two of our men, who takeI
e abark ran for some distance, and then, turn
r inc around shot him. The adventure causeC
a a brief connection in the camp, for NOR
might be lurking unseen. At some distance
/ outside an Arab sprang like "A cat upon tn
V back of one of our soldiers, and tried to Gu
5 his throat An officer rushing up pistolrC
t the Arab through the heart, barely in time t.
save the soldiers life.
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