, 1885-01-29

about three miles south from Metemeneb
When Gen. Stewart reached that point
he found the enemy bover;ng about his
little army on ali sides and skirtine It
often within uncomfortable short range.
The rebels had evidently stationed them
selves IN the vicinity to await his arrival
and give him battle, When thev BEGAN
to surround him and nress in mon him
he determined to abide the event. He
ordered his men to dismount and form a
zareeba. This was made mainly with
saddles and baggage. and during its con-
struction the rebel riaemeu drew nearer
and maintained a hot fire from behind
ambushes and such hiding places as
| they could find among the bushes and
high grass. This fire was very well
directed and was more disastrous in its
effect upon the British troops. Twelve
men were soon shot dead and forty others
wounded. Among the first killed were
Mr.. Cameron. special correspondent of
the London Standard and Mr. Herbert
special CORRESPONDENT Of the London Rast
Gen. Stewart was one of the very first 10
be wounded. He was shot in the thieh.
When he was shot the work of making
the zareeba was about completed. and the
army had been put in motion to form it's
battle array. This was a hollow square.
As soon as completed the square advanced
under a steady ambush fire a distance of
two miles. AT this point the enemy be-
gan to move upon the square in two large
columns. These were directed against
the British right front, which stood IN
moved. During the rebel charge the
English troops, forming an assaulted
front, delivered a terrific fire.
aiming right at the enemy's
middle, moving down men in
such heaps hat they formed actual OBJ
s~tacles, and interfered SO seriously with
the evenness necessary to the success of
the onslaught, that the center line was
brought to a stand still about sixty yards
from the British front line. The force Of
the general movement threw the unim-
peded parts of the line like the ends of
broken timber around the corners of the
square, and the rebels so displaced were
simply cut to pieces. From this on the
warfare was disastrous to the rebels, as
irregular on their side. When the n e
my's line was broken, the Arabs seemed
to break up into bands, each of which
waged war on its own account. A large
detachment mostly on horseback, went
back to attack the zareeba. This was
garrisoned by a body Of English soldiers
made up of little detachments left behind
by each corps which had gone forward in
the square. Lord Charles Bersford was
in command. He sustained the attack
for two hours, when the enemy was COM
PEELED to retreat.
During the advance Of the main body
of the English from the zareeba the gar
rison left behind at that point kept up a
heavy FIRE from their guns and rifles. An
effort was made to erect a small redoubt,
about fifty yards to the right Of the
zareeba, under the protection Of a steady
fire from the zareeba. During the cree
ton Of the redoubt one man was killed
and three wounded. Lord Cochrane.
with forty men from the life guards and
Scots greys, held the redoubt and main
tanned a heavy fire throughout the battle.
They did much to repel the constant
rushes of the enemy. The losses of the
rebels during the whole day are estimated
at 1000 killed and wounded. Among the
enemy were many slaves, several of whom
have submitted to the British. They say
the Mahdi sent them from Khartoum.
The square reached the Nile at sunset
Monday evening and encamped for the
night: Early Tuesday morning scouting
parties made a reconnaissance and de-
stroyed some empty villages. The inhab-
itants had watched the military opera.
tons from a distance and afterwards re-
treated to Mefemeneh.
During the general attack upon the
square only six men were killed and TWEEN
ty-three wounded on the English side.
Captain Norton worked the guns during
this fight and his firing did awful execu-
ton.
Stewards force on leaving Gakdul wells
consisted of 1000 picked fighting men.
Latest dispatches received at the war
Office show that Lord St. Vincent was
not, as at first reported. killed in the bat
de fought in the desert on the 18th inst.
He died from wounds received on the 18th
at Abu Klea. Only two British officers