The Indiana State sentinel. [volume] (Indianapolis) 1868-1895, 1885-02-11
THE HERO OF THE DESERT.

SIR HERBRT STEWART, BRILLIAET AND yICTo-
RIoUs SOLDIER IN THE soUDAN.
While these words are being penned, a
universal interest is manifested in the cam
paign now being conducted by Lord Wolse-
ley against the Mahdi and his fanatical
followers in the Soudan. In the opinion of
competent critics the hard fighting is vir-
taally over, the victories of the 18th and
10Th of January rendering the Mahdi's cause
a hopeless one. The victorious British troops
6rst 10 cross the desert are now recuperating
near the Nile, while reinforcements are fol-
lowing across the route celebrated as the
scene, for a great part of the way, of Skin
mishing, and at two points, of pitched bat
ties which are among the hardest fought in
the annals of bloody strife.
The hero of the campaign is Sir Herbert
Stewart, who now lies badly wounded in
the intrenohed position occupied by his
army. He is said to be doing well, but
great anxiety is manifested on his account.
The bullet wound from which he is suffering
is in the groin, and medical journals are less
sanguils of his recovery than some of the
English newspapers profess to be.
His achievements as a soldier have gained
was committed the task of leading little
army of ], 800 men across the Bay Desert,
in the face of swarming enemies. 1t appears
that his men were selected with care, and
were worthy of their leader. Lord Wolse.
ley is blamed for sending so few. but the
success of the undertaking seems to justify
his confidence. He knew Stewart could de-
pend on the cool courage OF his men, and
believing that their number was sufficient,
avoided the unwieldiness which necessarily
characterizes large army on the march.
The greater of the two battles fought on the
march, was at Abu Klea, where the British
defeated ten times their number, but not
without severe loss, especially in officers.
In this battle General Stewart had horse
shot under him. Two days after the little
force, now reduced to about 1000, those in
charge of the wounded being deducted from
its fighting men and added to the number
of dead and incapacitsted, encountered
host OF foes in place favorable
to attack, because for a time. owing to the
rank vegetation and the peculiar Conforms
ton of the land, the British troops were ex-
posed to a heavy fire without the possibility
of an effective return. At this time Gen.
eral Stewart received the wound which will
prevent him from taking any further part
in the campaign, As soon as it could be
done, provision was made for the defense OF
the helpless, which seems to have been &C.
complished with the utmost thoroughness,
and then the fighting men moved off in the
form of square. After repelling three
charges made by vastly superior numbers Of
the enemy their work was done, and next
morning they returned to the friends they
had left behind in the 'zareba." Then all
together moved to the western bank OF the
Nile a few miles from Metemneh, and be-
tween that city and Khartoum. There they
are now, in an impregnable position; and it
appears to be unlikely that the dispirited
Arabs will modest either them or the little
army now crossing in their tracks. Com
municatiou with Khartoum and General
Gordon has been established, and the OBJ ect
of the expedition thus far attained.