Savannah morning news. [volume] (Savannah) 1868-1887, 1885-02-20
THE CAMPAIGN'CHA
LORD WOLSELEY'S PROBABLE
RECALL TO LONDON.

Sent Ferward-The Mahdi Secures
Gen. Gordon's Treasure-Lead Medals
Worth Double Their Weight in Gold
LONDON, Feb. l9.-It is announced
that in view of the fact that the fall OF
hhartoum and the death of Gordon have
rendered the main object of WOlseley's
expedition impossible, the government
has deemed it expedient to change the
whole plan of the campaign in the Sou
dan. Gen. Brackenburg, who succeeded
the late Gen. Earle, has been ordered to
abandon his advance on Berber and to
concentrate his troops at KOrti. Col.
Butler, who evacuated Gubat on Feb. IS
and withdrew his forces to Abu Klea,
has also been ordered to fall back on
kOru. All the available troops in Gen.
WOlseley's command will be concentrated
at that place and at Debbeh and
horoskO, the main body being at Korti.
LORD WOLsELEY's EVACUATION.
1t is probable that Lord Wolseley may
evacuate KOrti and retire to Debbeh,
where the desert r utes from Omdurman.
III Obeid and DartOur converge on the
Nile. Lord WOlseley viii there await
help from England. AT KOrti the Gener-
| ais force could be easily surrounded. In
| retiring, all the available supplies of the
I country will he swept UP, and the whole
army will be entrenched at Debbeh, where
it can hold its own, if necessary, until the
| rising of the Nile occurs Dongola Ham
| mex and various other points on the river
between Debbeh and Halfa are held by
weak detachments of the British troops.
There is line of telegraph which posi-
| bly, might be maintained, while steam
launches on the clear reaches of the Nile
can keep up some sort of communication
| with the second cataract.
EFFECT OF THE RETREAT.
The moral effect of the retirement of the
army from the Upper Nile will naturally
| be rather serious, though it may be, to a
! certain extent, neutralized by action in
unmistakable strength from Suakin.
Lord Wolseley will probably return to
| Cairo to consult with Gen. Stephenson
and others in regard to the present situa-
| ton of affairs.
| SALAMAr DESERTED.
Gen. Brackenburg, commanding the
| troops of the late Gen, Earle, has tele-
graphed from Uss4 Island that cavalry
corps entered Salamat on Feb. 10, finding
| it deserted when they entered. The Sala-
mat cavalry were about five miles in ad-
vance OF the infantry. The horses and
! camels had got safely through ShukOok
pass, which had been prepared for de-
| Tense, but was also abandoned by the
enemy. Gen. Brackenburg hopes to
reach Abu Hamed by Feb. %, but doubts
if he can concentrate there before Feb.
| 30, owing to the necessity he will be I'M
| der OF crossing mounted troops TO the
| other side of the river. Any estimate of
| the time necessary to do this, Gen.
| Brackenburg says, must be very uncer- ]
tain, because of the difficulties presentedal
| by the Nile at its present stage.
COMMENTS OF THE PRESS.
Col. Sir Redyers Buffers retreat from
Gubat before the approach OF Ell Mahdi and
his army Will, says the Pull Mall Gazette
| change the whole plan of the Soudan
| campaign. The next movement of the
British forces must now, the Gazette
| thinks, depend on the action of Ell Mahd.
A small force will probably be left to hold
| Gakdul wells for the purpose of prevent
| ing hostile Arabs from using them in anY
advance towards KOrti. They may de-
eide to make across the desert from Khar-
| tOum. If Lord WOseley feels himself
strong enough to allow Gen. Brackenburg
| to advance with the late Gen. Earle's
| troops to Abu Hamed, he may proceed
thlther in order
TO HOLD THE NILE END
of the Korosko route open. otherwise the
| Gd@ette believes Gen. Brackenburg will
| probably be recalled to Korti. In this
event the plan would be to leave but a
small force at GakGU wells, and retreat
and concentrate the main strength of the
DrltlSh forces at present in the Soudan at
DeODeh, further down the Nile. KOrOskO
will be held in force, and the Pail Mall
Gd%ette argues that the contemplated ad-
vance upon Berber be abandoned, so far.
at least, as it was intended to make it the
Dase OF active operations. All but purely
defensive operations will, according to
the Gazette, be abandoned along the Nile
LORD WOLSELEY TO BE RECALLED.
In regard to Lord Wolseley himself
the Pail Mall Gazette believes that he
will be recalled, either to Cairo or Lon
don. ln case he be recalled to Cairo, the
| only reason that will be given will
probably be that he can better direct from
that point the military operations from
Suakin against Osman Digna. The Sc
yerance of the land telegraph lines. such
as the cut between DOngola and Wady
Halfa, Will be used to make this state
ment plausible. In the event of Lord
Wolseley's recall to London, it can be
said that he can be far more useful in |
personal contact with the Ministry than
he could be shut up in the Mudirate of
DOngOla.
A FORTUNATE ESCAPE.
Gen. Buffers retreat from Gubat is
considered at the War Office to have been
inevitable, and a most fortunate escape.
Gen. Butler will reach GakduI wells to-
day, and will return with his entire force
TO KOrti.
WOLsELEY WANTS REINFORCEMENTs
The Ministerial speeches in Parliament
yesterday conceal the true situation in
the Soudan. Lord WOlseley has applied
for reinforcements on the Nile, and it is
reported that he wants 1000 English
troops to try to march from KOrosko across
the desert upon Abu Hamed, where Gen.
Brackenburg has been ordered to remain
until a simultaneous advance with Gen.
Graham's forces from Suakln can be
made upon Berber. Should the Mahdi
threaten Dongola Lord Wolseley will
retire to Debbeh.
FEARS OF A GENERAL RISING.
1t is feared that the appearance of the
Mahdi near DOngOla would lead to a
general rising in Nubia and Upper Egypt
IN his favor. The Egyptian troops are
echelOned between Assouan and Wady
Halfa, and the disaffected tribes are
ready at any moment to declare for the
Mahd.
Egyptian consols yesterday touched
9S54, the lowest price since 1873.
DEPARTURE OF TROOPS.
The First Battalion of the Coldstream
Guards, S46 in number, started to-day for
Suakin. They left Wellington Barracks
amid many pathetic scenes of leave
taking, their relatives and friends having
assembled in force. A detachment of
Hussars left Aldershot to-day for Ports |
mouth, where they will embark for the |
SOudan. The steamer Tyne sailed from
Portsmouth to-day with reinforcements |
and stores for Egypt.
Ell MAHDI CAPTURES THE TREASURE.
Upon the capture of Khartoum, Ell
Mahdi seized all the treasure in Gen. Cor
don's possession. This included large
amount in bank notes, which Ell Mahdi is
now trying to discount.
WORTH DOUBLE THEIR WEIGHT IN GOLD,
A few copies of leaden medal struck
by Gen. Gordon to commemorate the long
siege of KhartOum, have been received in
London and are selling for double their
weight in gold.
STEWARDS CONDITION HOPELESS.
Lord Wolseley telegraphs the govern
ment to-day that the condition of Gen.
Stewart is less hopeful. The fever at
tending the wound in his groin has in
creased.
AT GAKDUL WELLS.
News from Gakdul wells of FEB. II re-
port the arrival there of Gen. Wood and |
three companies of infantry.
ovERHAULING GUNBOATs.
ROME, Feb. 19.-The government has
ordered the immediate preparation of a
torpedo fotilla and the overhauling of all
ironclads belonging to the navy and not
in foreign waters.
PARLIAMENT IN SESSION.