Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1885-02-26
ENGLAND AND THE MAHDI.
LATEST FROM THE S0UDAN.
eenerai Buller's Line or Reueaf-Ne
ments Of srsckensury's Coiumn--t; t;orden's
FarsWelt

General BuIler's Line or Reurat-N Move.
ments or Brsckensury's Coiumn--t; ;orden's
Farewell.
Mr.. Charles Williams. the special
correspondent of the Gable News with
General Butler at Abu Klea. has sent a
dispatch in which he reports n new
plan which is now contemplated for
the escape Of General Buffers de-
tachment. lie says that if LOCO
fresh camcls can be procured Gene
raj Butler will attempt dash
across the desert to Berber instead of
falling back upon korti by way of
Gakdul. The distance to Berber is
about lis miles and TO Korti about 1855
miles. The route to Berber is probably
no more difficult than that to korti and
the force will be about as safe at one
place as the other. Once at Berber.
General Butler would hope to soon
form junction with General Bracken-
bury, who commands what is left of
General Earle's column, and thus
the chances Of safety of both de-
tachments would be greatly in
creased. Moreover. the instinct of self
preservation prompts General Butler to
get to the water for the sake of his
men, horses, and camels. The supply
Of water at Abu Klea is already so
limited that each camel is allowed a
bucketful twice week only, and the
camels are dying by scores. If Cen
eral Butler retreats to Korti he can get
plenty Of water at Gakdul, which is
only about fifty miles from Abu Klea,
but it is impossible to say how long he
would be able to hold Gakdul.
The arrival of General Brackenbury'S
column at Abu Ilamed will be a wei
come event for the British, since there
Will then. for a few weeks at least, be a
possible line of communication with no
roscO, above the second cataract. This
line is 235 miles long. and there is only
one point ut which water is found but
steps will doubtless be taken to forward
stores of water to FL Murad in advance.
and. by forced camel marches, the dis
tance can be covered in nine days. At
best this line will be an Indifferent one
but anything is preferable to the isola-
tion of the past several days.
A London telegram says The papers
continue TO publish extncts from the
kilograms and letters of General Cor
don as they appear in the Bluc-Book
on Egypt. One of these letters, dated
December 4. 1884, recOunts many Incl
dents of the siege. and has the following
narratives " Once the river rose. We
drove of the Arabs in four fights.
We fired their towns. We sent two ex-
petitions TO Senaar We had fight
on September 4th. We were defeated
with heavy loss. our square getting
always broken. 1t has been quiet since.
We fired 100000 rounds in these diff
ferent fights. The Arab krupp guns
often hulIed our steamers. We have
lost three steamers and built two. All
the captiyes with the Mahdi are WELL
Slatin Bey is well treated, but he is
kept in chains. The nuns among the
captiyeS oStenSibly married the Greeks
in the party IN order to save themselves
from being compelled to marry Arabs.
There is mysterious Frenchman from
Dongola with the Mahdi. Don't let
the Egyptian soldiers come. Take di-
rect command Of the steamers at Me
tcmneh and turn out the fellahin."
In letter to friend at Cairo, dated
December l4th. General Gordon wrote
- 1t is all up with rs. expect a ca
tastrophc within ten days from the
present time. 1t would not have been
so if our people had kept me better in
formed of their intentions. My adIeus
to all
The LOrd-Mayor's committee on the
proposed memorial Of General Gordon
includes the Prince of Wales. the Duke
of Cambridge, the Archbishop of Can
terbury. Cardinal Manning, Mr.. Glad
stone. the Marquis of Salisbury, Earl
Granville, the Marquis of Ripon, the
the Marquis of Harrington, the Marquis
Of Lorne. Lord Napier, and the Chinese
Minister.
The Queen has sent an autograph
letter to Miss Gordon. sister of General
Gordon. expressing her Majesty's sym
pathy with the lady in her bereavement
by the loss of her heroic brother.