The Greenville times. [volume] (Greenville, Miss.) 1868-1917, 1885-01-10
WOLSsLET'S ADVANCE
Plans for the Relief Of Khsrtorn Meeting
with General Approval.

Louis Globe-DemOerat from Lon
don, Dec. 20, says: The official
programme of Gen. Wolseiey'S adj
vance upon KhartOum, as publish
ed in London to-day, is approved
by the majority Of military critics.
II was evident that he could not
continue to transport all his troops
up the river beyond Merawi, for
just above that point there is a
stretch of 140 miles, which is i'm
passsble at low Nile, and only pas
sable for small boats at high Nile.
The river between Korosko and
Khartoum forms an irregular let.
ter "S.n The advance guard of
the expedition, comprising the
Guards, the camel corps and the
other mounted troops, are now at
Merawl, which is just abont in the
centre of the "S.n The expedition
came around the first semi. circle
forming the letter by way of the
river. Now it encounters obsta-
cles to navigation which make the
river impracticable for any rapid
advance of troops, and it is pro-
posed, instead of rowing around
the second semi.circle OF the So
to dash across the Bahinda Desert
which it incloses. A reconnois.
sance in forco Of Guards and
mounted infantry is ordered for
tomorrow, to proceed as far as
Bir Gakdul, or the Gakdul well,
which is in the middle of the Ba.
hinda Desert, in q southeasterly
direction from Merawi and almost
due north of Khartoum. This re.
connoitring force is to seize aud
hold the well, which is the most
strategic inland position between
Merawi and Khartoum, and is slsC
to leave behind sufficient reeonnoi
terIng patrols of men to keep oper
the road frem the river for tn,
bringing up Of supplies. The grea
bulk of the commissary and quar-
termaster stores will be transport
ed as fast as they reach Meraw
along this picketed road to Bil
Gakdul, where a main depot viii
be established.
In the meantime Major Gen
Earle, who is only second to Gen
Lord Wolseley in the command o
the expedition, will concentrat,
the infantry forces at Handal
which is on the river, aud jus
above Gerendid. His first enter
prise after getting his command il
} hand will be to seek out and chas
tise the murderers of Lieut.. Col
Stewart, who was decoyed frou
his steamer and killed by ambush
ed Arabs, near Waddy Garna, las
October. Gen. Earle will mex
{ push on in small boats to Alb
Hamed, which is at the beginin
T of the second semi.circle of tn
. 49," The most important point
on the sweep of the river betwee
, Abu Hamed and Khartoum ar
Berber and Shendy. Gen. Earl
, is ordered to keep open the lin
between Korosko and Abu Hamet
and if possible to advance up tn
river as tar as Berber. II he sha
then find the overland marc
practicable, he is to strike ives
ward across the desert to Bir Gal
dul, which is on nearly the sam
parallel of longitude as Berber, an
to rejoin Gen. Wolseley at til
!. main rendezvous. If he finds hin
: self unable to undertake the dei
: ert march, he is to penetrate u
the river as far as possible, so a
to keep open that line of retrea
In any case the mounted troop
j. only will advance from Bir Gakdl
across the Metammeh Desert to
D point ON the river as near Kha
b toum as possible. The objectiv
= point will probably be above th
sixth cataract, whence the advanc
0 upon Khartoum may be mad
| either by land or water.
y A minority of the military critic
a in London would have preferred
direct dash across the desert fro
4 Merawi to Berber to the rout
(. proposed by Gen. Wolseley. The
s say that by his present plan he wi
Q have to make q considerable d
Q tour TO the South to reach the Ca
n dul well, and as this we'll is alway
d full, and is only eighty miles fro
o Shendy, where the rebels are su
}, posed to be in force, IL
Q next great battle will doub
Y less be at Gakdul, and may
}, disastrous to the Queen
v army. These critics admit one
Y established at Gakdul, Wolsel'
6 will be nearer in point of distant
to Khartoum than be would be
any other base of operations y,
y y proposed, but they think that
the forced march between Gakd
and the river he will be expose