The Middlebury register and Addison County journal. [volume] (Middlebury, Vt.) 1883-1885, 1885-02-06
GEN. STEWARDS VICTORY.
Another Fierce Battle on the
Road to KhartOum.
The Arabs Fighting With Des-
perate Valor.

Advices from London state that the anx-
iety concerning the fate of General Stewart
and his troops was relieved by dispatches
from General Wolseley and other sources,
announcing that Stewart had won another
victory and advanced far as Metemneh,
and had even opened communication with
General Gordon at Khartoum
After his fight with the Arabs for the pos
session of the Abu Klea wells on the 18th
inst, General Stewart established strong
post at the wells, and on the afternoon of the
next day, Sunday, began his march toward
Metemneh. His force consisted of about
1000 picked fighting men. The natives Mt
once began to resist his progress,
though they did not offer regular b.
tie, but skirmished upon his front
TANKS. On Monday the English reached II
point about five miles south of Metemneh,
where the Arabs were evidently stationed in
force as they lowered about the invaders on
all sides within short range. When they be
gan to surround him and press in from all
sides General Stewart ordered his men to dis
mount and form a Zareba, or sort of breast
work made mainly with saddles and baggage.
During its construction the Arab riflemen
drew nearer, and kept up hot fire from be
hind ambushes and such hiding places as they
could find in the bushes and high grass. This
fire was very well directed, and was most
disastrous in its effect upon the British
troops Twelve men were soon shot dead
and forty others were badly wounded.
Among the first killed were Mr. Cameron,
the special correspondent of the London Stan
ddrd, and Mr. Herbert the special correspond
ent of the London Post. General Stewart
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 mo-
ton to form in battle array.
When Stewart fell wounded Sir Charles
Wilson assumed command, and the troops
formed in hollow square in the following
order: In front, the Naval Brigade and the
Grenader Guards, on the right flank the Cold
stream Guards and the Scots Greys, on the
left flank the mounted infantry, and on the
rear the Sussex Regiment and the Camel
corps.
As soon as it was completed the square adj
vanced under steady ambush fire distance
Of two miles. Then the enemy began TO move
upon the square i'll two large echelons.
These were directed against the British right
front, which stood unmoved. During the
charge of the natives the English troops form
ing the assailed front delivered a terrific fire
aimed right at the enemy's middle, moving
i down men in such numbers that the
heaps of dead bodies interfered so seri-
ously with tthe evenneSs of march neces-
sary to the success of the onslaught that the
center line of the Arabs was brought to
standstill about sixty yards from the British
front line The force of the general move
ment threw the unimpeded parts of the line
like the ends of a broken timber around the
corners of the square, and the Arabs thus
displaced in position were simply cut to
pieces. After this the fight was most disas
trous to the natives
During the advance of the main body of the
English from the zareba the garrison left be-
hind at that point kept up heavy fire from
their guns and rifles. An effort was made to
erect a small redoubt some fifty yards to the
right of the ZareDa under the protection of
the steady fire from the Zareba. During the
erection of the redoubt one man was killed
and three were wounded Lord Cochrane,
with forty men from the Life guards and the
Scots Greys held the re1oubt and maintained
a heavy fire throughout the battle.
When the enemy'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 zareba There the Eng
fish sustained the attack for two hours, when
the enemy was compelled to retreat.
During the general attack upon the square
only six men were killed, and twenty three
wounded on the English side. Captain Nor
ton worked the guns during this fight, and
his firing did terrible execution. The losses
of the Arabs during the whole day are esti-
mated at 900 killed and wounded. They
lost five emirs. Among the enemy
were many slaves, several of whom have
submitted to the British They say
the Mahdi sent them from Khartoum.
The British square reached the Nile at sun
set on Monday and encamped for the night
Early Tuesday morning scouting parties
made reconnaissance and destroyed some
empty villages, the recent inhabitants of
which watched the operations from
a distance and afterward retreated
to Metemneh. The British then adj
vanced through the villages around Metem-
neh and stationed themselves at Gubat
on the Nile. On Wednesday they made re-
connossance, and found Metemneh fairly
well fortified Shots We're exchanged but
the Arabs kept out of sight. Sir Charles
Wilson reports that he could have carried
Metemneh but he thought it not worth risk
ing the loss of the men which its capture
might have involved, The ground around is
sandy, with depressions full of grass and
bushes, affording good cover.
General Stewards wound, while not fatal
is so serious that he will be disabled for the
remainder of the present campaign. General
Wolseley considers the deprivation of his ser
vice nationwide He characterizes Stew
art as the 'ableSt soldier and most dashing
commander ne ever knew and + ecommends
him to the queens most favorable considera-
ton.
-Four steamers from Khartoum, under
Nusri Pasha, arrived at Gubat on Wednes-
day. They brought the latest news from
General Gordon, who says he could hold out
at khartoum for years