Wessington Springs herald. (Wessington Springs, Aurora County, Dakota [S.D.]) 1883-1891, 1885-02-13
WAR IN THE DESERT.

,r+.s Command Fiercely Attacked While
Struggling to Relieve "Chinese" Gordon
The False Prophet's Dead Piled Up Ill
Hcaps-The Survivors Loss
Seventy-Four.
LONDON, Jan. ga battle between
General Stewards troops, numbering l,5Oo,
and 5000 to 10, 900 Arabs has been fought
at a point in the Passaniyeh desert, twenty
three miles northwest from Metemneh, and
near the caravan station Of Shebacat' i'll
which the rebels were routed. Among
those who fell under the enemy's fire
was Lieutenant-Col Burnaby. Be
sides Colonel Bulnaby, the following
were killed: Major Carmichael, Fifth Lam
GERS: Major Atherton, Fifth Dragons: Cap
tain barley and Lieutenant Shaw, Fourth
Dragons: Lieutenant Wolfe, Scots Greys,
and Iieutenants Pigott and DE Leslie, OF
tie Naval Brigade. Lord st. Vincent ana
Lord Alrlie were wounded.
A dispatch has been received at the War
Office from General 'Volseley, dated korti,
Jan. q, 3 p. H., which reads substantially
as follows:
General Stewart has had a heavy engage
ment with Il portion of Ell Mehdis forces near
the Abu-lllea wells, about twenty-three nlles
this side of Metenneh. The rebels had col
lected from Bcrbcr, Metcmneh and Omdura-
man. This last place, l regret to say, so pris-
oners report. was recently captured by Ill
Mehdi, and thus mel were released from
there to fight General Stewart. On the after
moor of January IL General Stewart S cavalry
reported that the enemy were in position
some few miles this side of the wells.
advance and successful encounter. General
Stewart bivouacked where he was for the
night. The enemy kept up u harmless fire all
night and erected WORKS on General Stewards
right flank. On Saturday General Stewart
e~ndeavored to draw the enemy on to make an
attack, but the rebels hesitated. In conse-
quence, General Stewart left all his impede
ments, also his cameis, with Il guard of tho
Sussex eglnen and some mounted infantry,
and moved forward, keeping his forces
n the form 1t,, Of a square are aAl!the men asa, were to on
cnemy's TANK, forcing them to make an tt-
tack or be subject to an enfiludc tire. the
enemy wheeled to the left and made Il we'll
organized charge under a whitening 1lre from
our men. The square was unfortunate
ly penetrated about its left rear,
when a heavy cavalry and camel regi..
numbers. The admirable stcadlness OF our
mel enabled them to maintain a hand-to-
hand fight with the opposing force, While
severe punishment was being inflicted upon
the enemy by all other parts OF the square.
The enemy was finally driven back under .
Hcuvy fire from all sides. The Nineteenth
which were in our possession by five in the
evening. The enemy left not less than eight
hundred slain around the works. The NUMBER
OF their wounded able to march orto be carried
OFT the field is est. mated ut two thousand. The
prisoners taken While the enemy was retiring
report the number OF the enemy woundedis
quite exceptional. One lmlnediate eilect OF
tue Dattle Is that many OF the rebels are SUBJ
Uniting. 1t was necessary for the army TO re-
main at the wells some hours to obtain water.
S soon as practicable the intention was to
push on with all expedition to Mctcmnel.
The English wounded are doing well.
General Wolseley adds;
General Stewards operations nave been
most creditaDle to him us u commander, and
the Nation has every reason to be proud OF
the gallantry and splendid spirit OF her tlaies-
ty 3 soldiers on this occasion, Our losses were
nine commissioned officers killed and nine
wounded and siXty-tve non-commission ID
officers and men killed and e!ghty-live
wounded. General Stewards force consists
OF about 1880 mon all told.
Later dispatches say that the British had
no idea that the enemy was so neav. The
native reports had led them TO suppose that
only a few rebels held Abu-Klea. The rebels
brought all their best troops to the attack.
u ttSoOulU olI IilG lSllGO liz IlIllall Suld1S
was led by Abusaleh, Emir of Metemneh,
and the attack on the left was under Mo-
manned Khair, Emir Of Berber, who was
wounded, and who retired during the early
part of the engagement. Abusaleh adj
vanced tiercely with a hundred fanatics un-
til shOt down in the square. Burnaby Iell,
pierced by Il spear which severed the jug
ular vein, and his right hand clinched in
death about the throat of the Arab who
killed him while gallantly fighting
with his comrades. The enemy firing the
night before the fight prevented sleep. The
rebels came On iii good order from the right
and left front at eight o'clock in the morn
ing. A 'screw-gun battery checked their
advance for some time. Though the Brit
ish position was we'll protected the rifles of
the rebels made accurate fire. AT ten
O'Clock General Stewart determined to make
a cOunter.a attack.
The medical staff under Surgeon Fergu-
son worked %splendidly under the heaviest
fire. Tic stoppages to attend to the
wounded delayed the advance. The in
terror OF the square presented to the view a
mass OF failing cameis and struggling Arabs
and English soldiers. Three hearty cheers
were given When the square was
reformed on fresh ground. MI
merous Arabs, having pretended to be dead,
now rose from The field and rushed past the
square to join the retreating enemy. The
rebels consisted of forces from Klartouln,
hordofan and Berber. During the night
General Stewart sent Il portion of the guards
back to bring everything from the in
trenched post in the rear. They returned in
safety on the morning of the 18th, when the
troops partook Of their first food and water
for twenty-tour hours. The Hussars buried
sixty men where the square was attacked.
The rebels had nine hundred special negro
rlilelnen, all good shots.
LONDON, Jan. 2-Trederick Burnaby. Lion.
tenint.Colonel commanding Horse Guards.
son or the late Rev. g.. Burnaby, was born nj
Eedlorl March 3, lS4!!. and received his cduca-
ton at Harrow School and in Germany, Ha
entered the Royal Horse Guards, blues, Sep.
tcmLer 50, 1859. lie has for the most purt Of
his lie since then been prominently conucclei
WIN tle l!rltiSl army Licutcnu .it-uolonelH Bur
many was n nlcmberOf the Councl oflhc Aero.
hautic society OF Great Brita IL, and has made
nineteen balloon aSccntS, beng on several Occa.
SONS ll~naccolnpan:cd by any professional aero.
li;iut: In March, Ies:::, he assembled alone in
.ne Eclipse balloon from Dover, and, after
some Vic'ssitlldcs Ill m.d.air, descended near
Chateau dc Montigny. near Envermu, in Nor
mandy: His works are: "a Ride to Khiyn."
.dravels and Adventures in Central Asia"
On Horseback Through Asia Minor" and
"A Ride Across the Channel, and Other AI.
ventures i'll the Air." ""
Twelve Dollars for a Babv.