The Austin weekly statesman. (Austin, Tex.) 1883-1898, 1885-02-19
THE MAHDI's REBELLION.
Something About Khartoum and People
Who aptured the Place.

SOmelnID& ADOUG AnSrIOuh ana PGOplc
Who aptured the Place.
The city of Khartoum. which is re.
ported as being now in the hands of
the Mahdi, is situated mile south of
the junction of the Blue Nile and the
rect line from Cairo. Time out of
mind it has been Of considerable i'm
portance as an exchange and ira
ding centre and since the domination
of Egypt in tbs Soudan KhartoUm
has been the seat of its government.
1t is said to have about 5000 houses,
built mostly of mud and stone, and
its population is variously computed
at from 10000 to $4,000, always
strange mixture of Europeans, Arabs,
Turks and Jews.
Mohammed Achmed, the Mahdi, or
war prophet, whose last victory Is now
setting the civilized world to talking
about him, was born at Khaung, in
Dongola, about three hundred miles
north of Khartoum, in the year 1912,
| and be knows all the ms and outs OF
the country and it's inhabitants for five
hundred miles about Khartoum. In
early manhood he manifested unusual
| business force as Slave-trader at Ell
| Obied and later devoted himself to con-
temptation and the life of a Moham-
medan religious enthuiast. In the year
1868 he was at Khartoum and received
special religious conservation and
swore to consecrate his body and soul
to the uses of the people.
Early in July. 1881, about two years
after the deposition of Ismael Pasha,
the Mahdi gave the first signs of mill
tary revolt, and the authorities of
Khartoum having ordered him to
come to that city, he treated the OI 5r
with contempt. When a battalion Of
black troops were sent to enforce the
order he rallied his forces and cut the
black forces to pieces, The next year,
1882, force of 5000 Egyptians were
seat against him and he either cap
tured or annihilated them. Arab was
now in rebellion in Egypt, all English
interests were menaced there, and
finally, on July IL, 1882, the British
began bombarding Alexandria and SO
entered on the work that has led to
puny successes and fearful disasters
from that time to the present.
In January 1883, the Mahdi captured
Ell Obeid, about two hundred miles
south of Khartoum, and has ever
since made it his headquarters. In
March, 1883, Col. Hicks, a British Off
Ger, arrived at Khartoum and under
took to organize force for the recap
j ture of Ell Obeid. In April he defeat
, ed rebel force five Thousand Strong
and killed five fnndred of the enemy
including the Mahdl'S grand viZier
In September Hicks Pasha marched
, out of Khartoum with 1000 fighting
men, encountered theMahdi's armyneaI
FL Obeid, engaged in a three DAYS
; fight, lost his own life, and he and his
} force have never since been heard
) from. Meanwhile Osman Digna rose
: into prominence as the Mahdis CHIEF
, ally in the region of country about
Suakim, on the coast of the Red Sea
, where the English landed small forces
and met with various successes and
: defeats
f A littIe more than year ago, wheI
, the situation at Khartoum looked
/ hopeless for the garrison and Euro
2 peau settlers there, General Gordon wa
5 selected as foFIoln hope and started
} alone for the fatal city. Before going
= he said distinctly: Il go to Khartoun
to make peace. We can come to al
: ! agreement" He believed simply tina
: the Mahdi was disaffected toward thu
Egyptian government and that liberia
a English proposals would settle all tn
tiouble. He soon found that tn
$ Mahdi represented larger uprising
E than was supposed and thel
g was bent on smashing him. Th1
2 plan the Gladstone government neve
\ yielded to, but plan to relieve Cor
don was formed. And in August o
last year Gen. Wolseley left Englan'
IN charge of what has been known a
? the Nile relief expedition, consisting
? of 5000 picked soldiers of the British
, army. A part of the instructions o
the war office said: "The primar
object of the expedition up the Vale
! of the Nile is to, bring away Ger
= Gordon and Col. Stewart from KhaI
3 toum. When that object has been sc
cured no further offensive operation
of any kind are to be undertaken"
Nothing of any serious momen
happened to this force until the lit
= and 18th of last month, when Ger
Stewart, with the advance army 0
the expedition, met about 10000 rebe
4 Arabs in the Bahuda desert, between
Z Korti, the headquarters of Gen
! | Wolseley, and Metemneh, where TIA
| rebels had gathered in force to NEE
. the English invaders. Gen. Stewart
! two battles turned the whole desigl
! of the expedition out of the line of
1 relief force into that of an invading
army, and the result was that tn
l Mahdi seized the opportunity loni
delayed and fell on Khartoum will
l such overwhelming numbers as led t
: its overthrow.