The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1885-01-29
The Rebel Generals Select Their Battle
Ground and Compel the British to Make
Fight Three Miles from the Nile.
General Stewart Receives a Very Seri-
GUS Wound Early in the Action.
The Arab Loss Placed at Two Thousand in
Killed and W0unded-Stewart in C0mmu-
nication with General Gordon.
Stewart Wins a Succession of Victories, AM
Is Himself Badly Wounded.


Is Himself Badly Wounded.
LONDON, Jan. 2a-Intelligence has just been
received at the War Office that General Stew
| arts force is intrenched south of Metemneh
| The dispatch also gives the gratifying informa-
| ton that Stewart is in communication with
General Gordon. Stewards force had several
| fights with the Arab rebels before it reached
| Metemneh Stewart himself being badly
wounded. Five of BIahdis emirs were killed in
these fights. General Wolseley, in his dispatch,
reports the capture of Metemneh by the British,
| and also says that Sir Charles Wilson has gone
to Khartoum on board steamer to confer with
Gordon, and it is expected he will return as soon
as possible and report personally to Wolseley.
An official dispatch received this afternoon
| from General Gordon shows that his position at
| Khartoum is by no means as desperate as sup
posed. He says he could hold out there for
| years.
General Stewards wounds are reported doing
| well.
| dispatch from Giro states that Lord
| Charles Beresford, with small contingent, is
pushing on from Metemneh to Khartoum.
Official dispatches indicate that the march Of
Stewart and his little army from Abuklea Wells
every foot of the way appears to have been
sharply contested by the resolute Arab foe There
was constant succession of encounters from
the action of the 18th till the Nile was reached,
the British troops steadily gaining fresh vic
tories over the impetuous but easily demoralized
rebels. On the morning of Monday, Jan. 10,
two days after the fight at Abuklea, the enemy
appeared in force in front of the advancing
British army, and short but fierce battle was
| fought. This occurred at point about three
miles from the Nile. The British were compelled
! to sustain heavy fire for some time.
Early in the engagement General Stew
| art received his wound, and Sir Charles
Wilson thereupon assumed command. Works
| were hastily constructed under leaden rain
which continued to pour upon them from the
enemy's rifles. The wounded men and the bag
| gage train were left under guard behind the
quickly built earthworks, while the rest of the
force advanced in the face of the hostile fire to
gravel ridge some distance in front Here
large force of rebels had established themselves
| in a strong position. AS soon as the British line
came near, a fierce charge, led by several emirs
| was made against it by the rebel foemen. The
British troops were arranged, as usual in the
| form of square, and steadily advanced to meet
the wild onset of the loudly cheering enemy,
who were rushing down upon them. At the
| same time the rifles of the British were
doing bloody execution. The charge was
checked, and not an Arab came within
thirty yards of the British square.
| The rebels did not long stand before the murder
Gus English fire, but were repulsed with heavy
| loss, Five emirs and 250 men were left dead
| upon the field, and large number of wounded.
About the English losses few details have yet
| been received. It is known, however, that Mr..
| Cameron, special correspondent of the London
Daily Standard, and Mr. Herbert, special cor
respondent of the Morning Post, were killed
The place where the battle occurred is a slight
distance beyond Shebacat Wells.
GENERAL STEWARDS WOUND
Stewards wound while not fatal, is so serious
that he will be disabled for the remainder of the
present campaign General Wolseley considers
| the deprivation of his services national loss
He characterizes Stewart as 'the ablest soldier
| and. most dashing commander he ever knew
| and recommends him to the Queens most favor
able consideration. Lord St Vincent, of the
artillery, was among the British slain
Gen. Stewart now holds a strongly fortified
post at Gubat not far from Metemneh, a place
on the Nile half way between Berber and Khar-
toum Opposite, at Gubat, is q large island, on
which plenty of forage for horses and camels is
easily obtained So strong is the position at Gu
bat that it is confidently asserted it can be held
| by small garrison against any force which the
rebels can send to attack it. The route across
the desert from Gubat to Korti is securely held by
4 @baT ,ois. D. Dill L
in command of this route. He left Korti to day
to assume his position.
The news of Stewards movements since the
battle of Abuklea Wells, was brought to Korti
by Capt Pigott, who left Gubat with dispatches
on Saturday last, and reached Kort this morn
| ing, having encountered no serious difficulty by
the way.
| A Korti dispatch to Reuters agency says Gen
eral Stewart gained brilliant victory on the
10Th over the rebels. The enemy numbered T.
900, and large number of the force were cav
alrymen armed with rifles The British lost
twenty killed and sixty wounded; the total loss
of the enemy was 1900. Firing began in the
morning, and lasted all day. Col. Burleigh,
special correspondent of the London Telegraph,
and Lords Airlie and Somerset, are among the
| wounded.
Fuller details of Stewards advance from Abu-
klea Wells are now made public. Stewart, OF
| on the 18th. established strong post at Abu-
| klea Those who had been seriously
wounded were left with a sufficient gar
rison, and on the afternoon of the
18th Stewart began his forward move
After passing Shebacat Wells the British forces
moved to the right, in accordance with the in
structions of General Wolseley that in case
] Metemneh was found occupied by the enemy,