The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1885-01-29
DETAILS OF THE FIGHT.
British Pluck and Steadiness Win the Day
After a Hard Struggle.

After Hard Struggle.
LONDON, Jan. 28.-The point where the battle
of the 10Th occurred is in the desert about five
miles south from Metemneh. When General
Stewart reached that point he found the enemy
lowering about his little army on all Sides and
skirting it often within uncomfortably short
range The rebels had evidently stationed them
selves in the vicinity to await his arrival and give
him battle. When they began to surround him
and press in upon him, he determined to abide
the event He ordered his men to dismount and
form a zareba. This was made mainly with
saddles and baggage, and during its construc-
tion the rebel rifemen drew near and maintained
a hot fire from behind ambushes and such
hiding places as they could find among the high
grass. Their fire was very we'll directed; and
was most disastrous in its effect upon the British
troops. Twelve men were soon shot dead and
forty others stricken down with ugly wounds.
Among the first killed were Mr. Cameron, special
correspondent of the London Standard, and Mr..
Herbert, special correspondent of the London
Post General Stewart was one Of the very
first to be wounded. He was shot in the
thigh. When he was shot the werk of making the
zareba was about completed, and the army had
array. This was a hollow square, which
was formed in the following order: In 'front.'
the naval brigade and the Grenadier Guards; on
the right flank, the Coldstream Guards
and the Scots Guards; on the left
flank the mounted infantry, and on the
rear, the Sussex regiment and heavy camel
corps AS soon as it was completed, the square
advanced under steady ambush fire for dis
tance of two miles. At this point the enemy
began to move upon the square in two large
These NUnr dirnctad aOaiDSt Rrit-
ish right front, which stood unmoved during the
rebel charge. The English troops forming the
assailed front delivered a terrific fire. aimed
right at the enemy's middle moving down men
in such heaps that they formed serious obstacles
and interfered SO much with the cvenness necessa
ry to the of the onslaught that its center
line was brought to standstill about sixty yards
from the British front line. The force of the
general movement there unimpeded parts of the
line like the ends of broken timber, around
the corners of the square. and the rebels so dis
placed were simply cut to pieces From this
on the warfare was disastrous to the rebels and
irregular on their side. When the enemy's line
was broken the Arabs seemed to break up into
bands each Of which waged war on its own ac-
count.
Large detachments on horseback vent
back to attack the zareba. This was
garrisoned by a body of English
soldiers made up of little detachment left be-
hind by each corps which had gone forward in
the square. Lord Charles Beresford was in COM
Inand. He sustained an 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 six wounded on the
English side Captain Norton worked the guns
during this fight, and his firing did awful execu-
ton.
General Stewards force. ON leaving Gakdul
Wells, consisted of 1000 picked fighting men as
follows: Ninety men of the Nineteenth Hussars
three divisions of the camel corps, in all about
1880 men: 400 mounted infantry, a royal artillery
battery of 40 men, 80 royal engineers, so men of
the naval brigade, the Royal Sussex regiment
800 strong, 80 men of the Essex regiment, so
men of the transport corps and as many of the
medical staff corps.
Later dispatches received at the War Office
show that Lord St Vincent was not, as at first
reported, killed in the battle fought in the des-
ert on the 10Th inst He died from a wound re-
ceived, on the 18th, at Abu-Klea. Only two
British officers were killed in the zareba fight;
the other dead were non commissioned officers
and privates.
During the advance Of the main body of the
English from the zareba the garrison left behind
at that point kept up heavy fire from their guns
and rifles. An effort was made to erect small
redoubt some fifty yards to the right of zareba,
under the protection of a standing fire from the
zareba One man was killed and three wounded.
Lord Cochran, with fifty men from the Life
Guards and Scots Greys, held the redoubt, and
maintained heavy fire throughout the battle,
and did much to repel the constant rushes of the
enemy. Inc losses or the rebels during the
whole day are estimated at two thousand, killed
and wounded Among the enemy were many
slaves, several Of whom have submitted to the
British. They say that the Mahdi sent them
from Khartoum.
The square reached the Nile at sunset Monday
evening. and encamped for the night. Early on
Tuesday morning scouting parties made recon
noissances, and destroyed some empty villages.
The inhabitants had watched the military opera
tions from distance and afterwards retreated
to Metemneh. The British then advanced
through the villages around Metemneh. On
Wednesday they made a reconnaissance, and
found Metemneh fairly well fortified. Shots
were exchanged, but the rebels kept out of sight
The ground around is sandy, with degressions
full of grass and bushes, affording good cover.
Khartoum, and that the force which attack 1
the British at Abukea was the advance guard.
Mr. Herbert, special correspondent of the
London Post whose death was reported to-day