Delaware gazette and state journal. (Wilmington, Del.) 1883-1902, 1885-02-05
THE CAMPAIGN IN NUBIA
GEEERAB srGWaK1SS FOROE BI.
EuRE MsTEMREB.
BOmbaTdnieHt Of Metelnueh aud
shcndy - 1DrdO"'s steamers 10
Gnbat-rwO FhOnEnud Arabs FnIt.
iTg Under tho British Asabs


hhcnGy - HDFdOW's STeaInrra as
GnBat-Two ThOnEaud Arabs PnIt-
iDg Under ibe British Gnbs
LONDON, jan rs The lAtsst dispstoh, a
received al the war office chow tns, In.
point where the battle Of the 18th oo-
Cured is In the desert about 8 miles
south from Metemneh. When General
Stewart, reached that point he found tbe
enemy were hovsripg about his littls
army on all sides and skirting it often
within unoomfortably short range. The
rebsls had evidently stationed themselves
In the vicinity to await his arrival and
give him battle. When they began TO
surround him and press in upon him be
determined to abide the event. he
ordered his menEtoi dismount and form a
zarebE. This gwas made mainly
with saddles and baggage and during
it's construction ithe rebel rifemen drew
nearer and maintained a hot fire from
behind thslbushss.and such hiding places
as they could find among bushes and high
grass. This fire was very we'll directed
and was most disastrous In its effects
upon the British troops. Twelve men
NSEe bOOu buVt uehu Anu Az Otntrb were
stricken down with ugly wounds
Among the first killed were Mr.. Cameron,
the special correspondent Of the London
Standard, and Mr.. Herbert, the special
correspondent of the London Post. But
two commissioned officers were killed.
General Stewart was one Of the very first
to be wounded. He was shot in the
thigh. When he WAS struck the work OF
making the zAreba was about completed
and the army had been put In motion to
form its battle array.
This was hollow square. The square
was formed In the following order: In
front the naval brigade and the Grenadier
Guards; on right flank the Coldstresm
Guards and the Scots Guards; on left
flank the mounted infantry, and on the
rear the Sussex regiment and the heavy
camel corps. As soon as completed the
square advanced under q steady ambush
fire distance Of two miles. At this point
the enemy began TO move on the square
In two large echelons. These were
directed against the British right front,
which stood unmoved. During the rebel
charge the Bnglish troops forming the
assAiled front delivered a terrific
aAAO GAhAOo ~ hh1 uhoWy
moving down men In suoh heaps
that they formed actual obstacles and
80 seriously with the evenness
necessary to the success OF the onslaught
that its centre line was brought to .
standstlll about 80 yards from the British
front line. The force Of the general
threw the unimpeded parts Of
the line like the ends Of broken timber
around the corners Of the square, and the
rebels 80 displaoed were simply cut 10
pieces. From this on the warfare was as
disastrous TO the rebels as II was
irregular on their side.
When the enemy's line was broken the
Arabs seemed to break up into bands,
Zach OF which waRed war on its own 40.
,Iunt, A large detachment, mostly on
horseback, went back to attack the
iareba. This Was garrisoned by body
II English soldiers made up Of little de-
.Aohments left behind by each corps
which had gone forward In the square.
Lord Charles Beresford was In command
and sustained the attack for two hours,
whom the enemy was compelled to retreat.
During the general attack upon the
quare only six men were killed and 23
sounded on the English side. Captain
Norton worked the guns during this fight
lud his firing did awful execution.
During the advance OF the main body
u the English from the zAreba the gArri-
ION left behind at that point kept up
lesvy fire from their guns and rifles. An
.aors -so msdu TO erect = SNAIL redoubt
ome so yards to the right Of the zAreba.
during the erection OF the redoubt one
nan was killed and three were wounded,
lord CoohrAne, with 40 men from the
life Guard and the Scots GrAys, held she
'edoubt and maintained q heavy fire
ths battle. They did much
% repsl the o. Instant rushes Of the enemy.
The losses Of the rebels during the
whole day are estimated at 1000 killed
md wounded. Among the enemy were
many slaves, several Of whom have sub.
nitted to the British. They say the
dahdi sent them from Khartoum.
The square reached tue Nile at sunset
IN Monday evening, and encRmped for
he night Rarly on Tuesday morning
couting parties made reconnaissance
md destroyed some empty villages, the
soent inhabitants Of which watched the
'peraiions from distance, and afterwards
to Metsmpeh. The British then
.dvsnoed through the villages around
detemneh. On Wednesday they made
econnsissRnoe and found Metemneh
airly we'll fortified. Shots were ex.
hanged, but the rebels kept ont Of sight.
The ground around is sandy, with de-
'ressions full of grass and bushes, Afford
ng good cover.
Tbepfisoners state that the enemy came
rom HhsFtoum and that the force which
stacked the British at Abn.Klea was the
dvspce guard.
Five o. General Gordon's steamers,
onv5yinr 500 soldiers and five guns, ar
ivsd at GubAt on the 22d. All the
roOpa and guns were landed, when the
uus wbie turned upon Metemneh, with
ut, however, producing any effect upon
lie rebsla. It is reported that the Mahdi
. sending mole troops and guns to
letemueh.
Ga the 22d General Wilson, with four
I General GordCn's steamers, a number
4 black tr5ops, two companies Of
mounted infantry and SIX guns, bonn
'Erded Shendy for two hours and almost
OmplstslY destroyed the town, but the
Of whom there were few,
appeared 10 be unwilling 10 surrender.
The steamers afterwards returned to
fubst, where 3 number of forts are being
,reotsd.
Il is stated that the Mahdi has force
4 600 men around Khartoum. The
OF KhRrtonm Ia now estimated
i IL. 600. A convoy has gone TO Gakdul
o fetch stores aud ammunition. The
inhabitants Of Mstemneh are apparently
emainirg in hiding, as scouts are able to
ee only few persons in the town. The
otAl British loss, including the loss at
Abu- u-Klea, was l04 killed and ZIG
sounded. The enemy's loss was 5000
Iilled and wounded.
The queen has sent dispatch thank
ng General Stewart and his troops for
heir bravery, oondolinR with them for
heir losses and promoting General
Stewart to the rank of msjor-gensral.