The Valley Virginian. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1865-1895, 1885-03-26
Battles in the Soudan.


An engagement was fought Friday
morning between the British troops, under
Gen. Graham. and the forces of Osman
Digma. The latter's position on the hills
of Hasheen was finally captured by the
British.
The battle lasted five hours. The ma
rines were put in front to drive Arabs from
the the hill west of Hasheen. AS soon as
possible they were reinforced by batteries
of Gardner and Krupp guns and by cavalry.
There was a hot engagement for few
hours, during which the British cavalry
charged repeatedly on the Arabs, while
the machine guns were working with
deadly effect whenever their fire could be
made available. Great bravery was dis
played on both sides. At the end of the
engagement the Arabs retreated slowly
towards Tamai. The Arab loss in killed
and wounded is estimated at 900. The
British is 40. The Arabs displayed des-
perate bravery. The marines drove the
Arabs from the hills and forced them to
retire to the plain. Then the Indian
troops enlarged upon the Arab position.
but were out-hanked, and an unsupported
body OF Arabs succeeded in getting behind
their lines. The Indians found them
selves between two fires and they
fed. During this retreat they were closely
pressed by the Arabs who hamstrung
the horses andsspeared the riders. The
Bengalese fell back in confusion upon the
English infantry and Guards, who had
formed in 2 hollow square. and thesquares
leisurely retired, while the Arabs were
yelling that they had regained their lost
position. At this ]uncture the artillery
came to the rescue, and brisk fire of
small shot from their machine guns
and shells from the Krupp field mortar
drove the Arabs from their position. The
marines maintained steady firing
throughout the engagement, but the Irish
Lancers changed the tide of battle by
a desperate change and retrieved the for
tunes of Gen. Grahams command, when
they seemed almost hopeless The British
troops have returned to their former camp
near Suakim.
On Sunday last the I'D, while detach-
ments Of English and Indian infantry
were making zereba seven miles south
west OF Suakim they were suddenly sur
prised by rush of Arabs, who had been
masseQ and concealed in the deiles west
of Hasheen. The English formed square
as quickly as possible, but the camels,
mules and horses were driven back in con-
fusion on the troops. causing stampede,
and amid the clouds of dust the Arabs
penetrated the south and north sides of
the square. Meanwhile the marines and
Berkshire regiment, who were on the east
and west sides of the square, maintained
a continuous fire, holding the enemy at bay,
while a charge of the cavalry and the fire
from the guns at the Hasheen zereEa
checked the onslaughter of the Arabs,
which at the onset threatened a serious
disaster to the British. Gen. Graham re-
ports that the English losses, so far as
known, are two officers and twenty-five
men killed and thirty-three men wounded.
The losses of the engineers, transport
corps and Indian troops have not yet been
reported.
An official estimate placed the British
killed at fifty-two, and wounded at eighty
five. Nsss@y all the casualties were due
to spear thrusts received in hand-to-hand
engagement. The Arabs got between the
transport corps and killed the animals.
They fought savagely refusing to give or
take quarter. Gen. Mcneil, who was
commanding the zereba, reports vaguely
that there were several thousand rebels in
the fight and oyef ona thousand were
killed OF wounded. Gen. McNeiiis blaEled
for not taking precaution against sur
prise.
The lsreoalyn Eagle says Mr.. Blaine is
quoted as saying tina. Re regards Mi.
Cleveland as man with a good desl of
backbone and not likely to yield to the
pressure which is being brought to bear
upon dim. He Thinks the Presidents
course will ALLEVIATE The greater portion Of
the Democratic party and that when Con-
gress meets again Mr.. Cleveland will have
to look for support to the Republican mi
nority and the few Democrats who will !
ho WILLING IN side with that element