St. Johnsbury Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1867-1919, 1884-04-17
tai of kOrdofan.

and Ell Oheid. making the latter place
his residence and base of operations.
On the 4th of March Gen. Hicks ar
rived at Khartoun, and, in the service
of the Khedive, took command. In
April he defeated rebel force of five
thousand men in May, FL Mahdi was
defeated near Khartoum, and was
forced to flee. In August n rebel at
tack on Sinkat was repulsed. On the
Sth of September Gen. Hicks marched
from Khartoum with an Egyptian force
of seven thousand men, commanded
partly by Egyptian and partly by En-
glish officers. Gu the Sd of November,
not far from El Obeid, this force was
met by Ell Mahdi's, and completely
destroyed.
At this time the English and Eu-
ropeans began to take an interest in
the war. Mr.. Gladstone was prepar-
ing to withdraw the English troops
from Egypt, and let that country try
the experiment of Unconstitutional
government. Orders had been given
for the withdrawal of the troops, when
the massacre of Gen. Hicks army oc=
Cured. The withdrawal was counter
manded, but Mr.. Gladstone's cOnstitu-
tional aversion to any policy savOring
of conquest, restrained him from
active assistance, until he was forced
into it by the condition of Khartouln.
Sinkat and Tokar. Mr.. Gladstone's
opinion has always been that Egypt
would be stronger if she abandoned
Soudan, ana if his policy had been
carried out, the present condition of
affairs would never have been brought
about. The representative of England
at Cairo was instructed not to interfere
with the Egyptian government in its
course in the Soudan, and the declara-
ton was made that England had moth
ing to do with Soudan, and Egypt must
act on her own responsibility. The
! khedive had just enough power to get
into trouble. and not enough to get
out.
khartoum, an important city at the
| junction of the Blue and White Nile,
was in danger. Egyptian garrisons at
different points were surrounded by
| hostile tribes and were in danger of
massacre, and no limit could be placed
\ to the cOntagiOn of revolt which was
| spreading throughout the Soudan.
| The helplessness of Egypt became ap-
parent, and the cry arose for English
troops to "'vindicate" English honor ;
but to send ont troops to conquer El
Mahdi would he to commit England
to policy of conquest and annexation,
and to surrender the convictions of the
English government that the SOudan
should be left to the SOudancse. Mr..
Gladstone stood firm, and still advised,
and afterwards commanded, the Khe-
dive to abandon SOudan.
A revolt now broke out in Eastern
Soudan, headed by courageous chief,
Osman Digna, who, collecting IN army
of eighteen or twenty thousand men,
laid close siege to the garrison ut Sin
kat aud Tokar, and even threatened
Suakim, an important port on the Red
Sea. The same motive which led Eng
land into the struggle now became in
fiuential. The route to India was
threatened by an insurrection on the
Red Sea, and to protect that route and
SEmf was GEeGuejf a,Rr'MhfGrfe%T5h ei'e
relief of Tokar, which was under the
command of Gen. Baker.
While on the way there, they were
attacked by Osman Digna and com
pleteIy routed, one-half of their num-
Der being killed. At Sinkat, soon after
the news of IL massacre of the garrison
spread through that town, and was
found to be true; and the soldiers
being on the verge of starvation, wert
all killed.
This aroused England, and troop:
. were hastily despatched to SuakIm
and Tokar was to be relieved by Eng
, lish soldiers but before this could he
, done, news reached Gen. Graham
army, that had been appointed as ;
relief force, that that garrison had beei
s persuaded to surrender.
Notwithstanding this, Gen. Graham
set out and encountered Osmau Digni
near Teb, and Gen. Baker was defeat
4 ed. Then Graham drove his army t.
] Tokar, where a few of the garrison ha'
4 remained loyal.
To relieve KhartOum, Gen. Gordon
known as "Chinese Gordon from hi
a military success in China, was appoint
;. ed nominally in the employ of tn
= Khedive, but really under pressur
> from England. He was attended b
= Col. Stewart, who is nearly as familia
with the SOudan as Gen. Gordon him
It self Leaving the Nile, Gen. GOrdo
Il with his lieutenant struck across til
Il, desert, and after an eight days mare
to Aber Hamet, reached Berber, an
" then KhartOum, without mishap. .
= his way, and upon his arrival, he wo
y falterng tribes over to his side b
# bribes and threats, and promised rell'
to the people from their expressions.
Gen. Gordon's policy is Il pOstpOn'
d ment of the slave question until I'll
! existing complications are solved.
- accordance with this policy, he sent
commission to Ell Mahdi prOclaimir
III him as sultan of Kordofan, of whi'
As Ell Obeid is the capital. FL Mahdl
ne said to have received this with an a.
k stacy of delight.
/, Gen. Gordon proposes that Egy
i should extricate all the imperiled ga
L risons, hand over the Western Soud'
p to the native chiefs, and retain I
Egypt the provinces lying east OF I
White Nile and north of Seminar.
is not yet decided whether Engla
likes the retention of Eastern SOuda
but recent events have strengthen
his position. A part of the garrlS
ton at Khartoum has been removed To B'
her; but five or six thousand s.
le- remain.
ed March 10, 1884, the situation "
zee critical and needed immediate attt
1t tion. The next day the situation
OF preached a crisis. March II gr
0t battle was imminent, and 1t took pli
SIN the next day, resulting in victory
the British, who completely rou
far Osman Digna's army. Over sever
his British were killed and about {
He hundred wounded. Gen. Crab
es- fought another battle the next d
ON and defeated the Soudan soldiers. Al
Use this battle Osman Digna's camp ;
three villages were burned.
ar The result of this war is yet to
Gus determined hut it DrObably will