New-York tribune., 1885-02-20
The BRITISH FORCES IN RETREAT.
GENERAL WOLsELEY IN DANGER AT KORTI


THE SoUDAN.
IoypoN. Feb DIT IS announced that in view
of the fact that the fall of Khartoum and the death
of General Gordon have rendered the main object OF
General Lord Wolseley's expedition impossible inc
Government has deemed it expedient to change thc
whole plan Of the campaign in the Soudan. 0ehei"i
Brackenbury, who succeeded the late Henerai
Earle has been ordered to abandon his advance en-
Berber and to concentrate his troops at hortl'
Colonel Sir Redveis Butler, who evacuated UuDat
ON February 49, aud withdrew hsforces to Abu-
Klca has also been ordered to fall back on kortl.
All the available troops in General Wolseloys COM
mand will be concentrated at that place ana at
Debbeh and Korosko the main body being at korti
II is probable that General Lord Wolseey may
evacuate Korti and retire to Debbel. where desert
routes from Omdurman, El Obeld and Darfour
converge on the Milo. He will there await help
frpm England. At KOrti the General could DC
surrounded In the retirement all available supplies
will be swept up,and the Whole army entrcnchedat
Debbeh could hold its own. if necessary, until the
rising of the Nile occurs DongOla, llannek ana
various other points the -iver between Debbeh
and Halfa are held by weak dctachments OF Britsh
troops. There is lue of telegraph which possibly
might be maintained, while steam launches on
the clear reaches could keep up some sort oi com
muncation with the second cataract. The moral
effect of this retirement will naturally be rather
serious though it would be- to a certain extent,
neutralized by action in unmstakablc strength
from Suakim General Lord Wosecy will probably
return to Cairo to consult with General Stephenson
and others in regard to the present situation oi
affairs.
Colonel Sir Redvers Buller's retreat from Gubat
before the approach of FL Mahdi and his army VIII,
saws Tie IaH Mall Ga;eite. change the whole plan OF
the Soudan campaign. The next movement OF the
British forces must now, The Gazette thinks depend
on the action of Ell Mahdi small force will
probably be left to hold the Gakdul Wells for tho
purpose of preventing the hostile Arabs from using
them in any advance toward Korti they may decide
to make across the desert from Khartoum. If Lord
Wolseley feels himself strong enough to allow
General Brackenhnry To advance to Abu-llaned lie
NAV proceed thther in order to hold the Nile end oi
the Korosko route open; otherwise, Inc dd@Ue
believes General Brackcnbury Will probably loe
recalled to KortI. Then the plan would be to leave
only small force at Korti to keep up comlnnnca-
tion with Gakdul Wells and retreat and concentrate
the main strength of the British forces at present III
the Soudan at Debbeh. further down the Nile.
Ko-osko Will be held in force and, The Ga:de
argues the contemplated advance upon Berber VIII
be abandoned so far at least it was intended To
make it the base of active operations. All except
purely defensive operations will be abandoned
along the Nile In regard 10 General Lord Wolscley
himself The Gazette believes that he will be recalled
either TO Cairo or to London In case he be rec - d
TO Cairo the only reason that viii be given VIII
probably be that he can better direct from that
point the military operations from SuakIm against
Osman D.gna In case of Lori WolseleY's recall TO
Iondou il can he said that he can be far more
useful in personal contact with the Ministry thah
he could be shut M in the Mudirdte ot iohgoia;,
General Brackcubury has telegraph"d from uSSl
Island that the cavarY corps entered S:ilah". @ on
February 10. finding II deserted Nneh tiiry
entered Salamat the cavalry were about hyc lniies
III advance of the infantry. lhc nOrsos anu Ctheis
and got safely through the shnkonk fas4' WhIIh
had been prepared for defence, but was also
abandoned hy the enemy. General Brackcnbury hopes
toreach Abu amed by February ZJ,Dut d'HDta u nc
can concentrate there before February ~. owing I"
the necessity he will be under OF crossing me
mount ted troops to the other side OF the river Any
estimate of time necessary 10 10 tnls' b'hrrdt
Brackenbury SAYS must be uncertain pecau'e Oh
the difficulties presented by the Nile ut It's present
stage. -, IT, H.. .....,.
who will remain throughout the Soulai c'hpaa'sni
their services having been accepted ~ LOrd
Wolsclcy, are Colonel Kennedy. OF the l"th l"h
Winnipcr Volunteers, Major Dcnnison, OF the
Governor Generals Life Guards. and Surgeon
The frat haftalion Of the Coldstream Guards, SIC
| in number, started to day for SuakIn. lhey Ieit
| the Welin stOn barracks amld pathetic scenes "i
lcavctakng. Relatives and friends had assellDlea
| in force IT, bid the departing soldiers fafeWeH.
Mothers hung around the neck> OF Their sons, wives
| cung to their husbands and children, ahd sad
|
away as they bade sous or brothers a nearly iar1
| we'll The Guards marched with difficulty through
| thronss of women, children and friends 10 west
mIn.ter Bridge, where they took steamer LOT
| Cravescnd. As they embarked the band stiucK up
with "Aud Lang Syne and followed thiS WIN
Home sweet Home" ne steamer NOV Nei aw"S
| throng the waving OF bandkerchleis. and Repeated
good-bys. At Gravcsend the Guards enbarkci Tor
a detachment of Hussars LETT Aldcrshot today
| for Portsmouth, where they Will embark :or Egypt
The steamer Tyne sailed from Portsmouth to-day
| with reinforcemcnts and stores for the SOudail
| Advices from Gakdul Wells, OF February ~ report
the arrival there of General Wood and three com,
panies of infantry The Engneer TELEGRAPH; ana n
| COmmssarg Corps Tor the Suaklm cApeditioh'
General lord Woseley telegraphs the Govern
Herbert Stewart is less hopeful The lever attend
lug the wound IN his groin has increased. o. 30
| CAIRO. Feb. 19.MajOr-i ieneral DAVIS goes 10
Suaklm To relieve Colohel fFceiiahIc' cohhdhu'"s
VI" WssnnID. Feb. 19-The officers of the British
Legation here are beslegcd by numbers OF spanish
| officers seeking employment i'll the S0udan cam.
| paign This is owing to the spread OF a report
| throughout SPAN that England desires TO enlist
| Spaniards in tue Egyptian service. The Cariiots
! have offered the Legation 1000 volunteers.
WAS THERE A MUTINY ON THE POONAi
QUEENSTOWN, Feb 19.-Orders were received
at the Naval Station here tonight to send assistance Ia
| the poouah the transport which the Canadian
boatmen were brought from Alexandria, and from which
they were about to transferred 10 the Han0veria
for their voyage home. guDboat carrying strong
force OF marines and infantry at once dispatched
| 70 the aid OF the Po0nah All Information as 10 thc
nature the trouble refused by the officials and tce
Is an evident desire have the facts suppressed III
alleged that the boamcn became nraciabe aud showed
signs mutny and that the officers OF hc poonah. hay
ing only small number OF marines OF board were COM
PEELED to call for assistance To quc the outbreak
LONDON, Feb 20-Ihe trouble owing to q distur-
bance among the boatmen during which three
soldiers, who under arrest made their escape In
boats.
NEWS NOTES FROM LONDON.
LONDON, Feb. 10.