The Indiana State sentinel. [volume] (Indianapolis) 1868-1895, 1885-01-28
BATTLE In HAsSAWIYEH DESERT.
The British Troops in the soudan Have a
Desperate Battle With the Mahdps
Troops and Gain a Complete
Victory.

Victory.
LONDON, Jan. PA dispatch has been re-
eeived st the War Office from General
Wolseley, dated Korti, January 81, p. M,
which reads substantially as follows:
General Stewart has had heavy engage
ment with portion of the Mshdis forces,
near Abu Klea Wells, about twenty-three
miles thi9 side Of Metemneh. The rebels
had collected from Berber, Metemneh, and
Abdurman. This last place, / regret to say,
the prisoners report, was recently captured
by the Mshdi, and thus the men were re-
leased from there to fight General Stewart.
On the afternoon of January Is, Stewards
cavalry reported that the enemy were in
position some few miles this side OF the
wsllr. As il was too late in the day to al
low an advance and successful encounter,
General Stewart bivouacked where he was
for the night, and the enemy kept
up harmless fire all night, and
erected works on General Stewards right
flank. On Saturday General Stewart en-.
dssyored to draw the enemy on to make an
attack, but the rebels hesitated. In conse-
auence, General Stewart left all his impedi-
ments, also his camels, with guard of the
Sussex regiment and some mounted intan-
try, and moved forward, keeping his forces
in the form Of SQUARE. All the men were
on foot. The British army passed around
| the enemy's left flank, forcing them to make
| an attack Or be subjected to an enflading
| fire. The enemy wheeled to the left, and
! made well-organized charge under q with
| eriDg ire from our men. The square
was fortunately penetrated about
| its lett rear, where a heavy
cavalry and camel regiment were In posi-
ton, by the sheer weight of numbers. The
admirable steadiness OF our men enabled
I them to maintain a hand to hand fight with
| the opposing force, while severe punish
ment was being inflicted upon the enemy
| by all the other parts of the square. The
| enemy Tes finally driven back by a heavy
| IRE from all sides. The Nineteenth Hasssrs
| then pushed forward to the wells. which
| were In our possession by in the evening.
| The enemy left not less than 500 slain
around the square. The prisoners taken
| while the enemy were retiring report the
number of the wounded as quite exception
| al. One OF the immediate effects of the bat
! tie is that many of the rebels are submitting.
| It was necessary for the army to remain
| at the we'll some hours to obtain water. As
soon as practicable the intention was to
| push on with all expedition to Metemneh.
! The English wounded are doing we'll"
General Wolseley says General Stewart con-
cludes his report as follows:
'sIt has been my duty to command a force
| from which exceptional work, exceptional
hardships and exceptional fighting has bee n
called for. It would be impossible to ade-
/ quateiy describe the admirable support
| given to me by every officer and man of the
force. regret to say that our loss was Sc
1 we're, but our success has been so complete
1 that it may dishearten the enemy TO such
an extent that all their future fighting may
| be of . less obstinate character"
| General Lord WOlseley says:t General
| Srewarts operations have been most credit
able to him as q commander, and the nation
has every reason to be proud Of his gsllantry
| and splendid spirit of her Maiesty's soldiers
| on this occasion. Our losses were nine COM
missioned officers killed and nine wounded,
! and sixty. Ave non commissioned officers and
men killed and eighty-fve wounded. Gen.
eral Stewards force consists OF about 800
men all told. Beside Colonel Burnaby, the
| following were killed: Major Carmichael,
Fifth Lancers; Major Atherton, Fifth
Dragons; Major Cough, Royal Dragons;
! Captain barley and Lieu tenant Law, Fourth
Dragons Lieutenant Wolfe, Scots Grays,
ard Lieutenants Pigott and De Lisle, Naval
Brigade. Lord st. Vincent and Lord Airlie
we're wounded"
| Further Details of the Battle I'm the Hasa.
wtyeh Desert.
LONDON, Jan. q The battle between Gen.
era Stewards troops and the Arabs (which
was fought at point in the HaSsewiyeh
desert twenty-three miles northwest from
Metsme neh. and near the caravan station
| OF Stebacas. General Stewards force con-
sisted OF about ], 500 men. On the appro ach
! OF the Arabs, who were estimated to number
5000 or $1,000, General Stewart formed his
troops int hollow square. with field pieces
| at the corners. The invalids and provisions
| in the center. The Arabs made thefssuttack
! in tumultuous rush, directed principally
| upon the side of tbs square held by the
HussaIS. This side OF the square was
broken at one time during the fight,
The officers attributed this disaster to the
| urruly conduct of the camels, which
got powder burned and became uncon-
troiIsble. The line was speedily reformed
| and the discipline OF the men was splendid
throughout the action. A steady and
deadly fire was kept up by the Hussars and
mour ed infantry, while the artillery
main .ained an unfalling fire, which
piled the dead Arabs up in heaps.
| The space in front of the British right Fl ank
was q veritable slaughter-pen, and when the
Arabs were finally repulsed they left 500 of
their number desd upon the field. The
number Of their wounded who were able
to march or to be carried from
casualties on the British side occurred dur
ing break IN the line of0the Hussars. The
British took their own and the Arabs
wounded 10 the wells at Stebacas. Most OF
the wounded are reported doing we'll. Gen.
! eral Stewart, with the remainder OF his
troops, is progressing toward Metamneh.
During the night preceding the action the
Arabs threw up email earthworks, intended
to intercept General Stewards march, bat
they were captured and destroyed by q de
tachment of English troops