Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1886-01-10
SOME VIVID PICTURES.
BATTLES IN THE DESERT

llVatCH Ns-''.f"" ''fs"N-'N y
The narrative begins with Sir Charles
Wilson'S receiptof his instructions from
Lord wolseley and ends with his re-
turn 10 Korti on the 9th Of February.
The account Of the march, with its diff
fculties, relieved by the excellent tenn
per Of the men and Lord Charles Beres.
ford's nautical jokes, is full Of details,
but does not occupy much space until,
on the 10th Of January, the force came
into touch with the enemy. The battle
of the following day at Abu klca has
been often described by official aud un-
official pens, but we must make room
for some Of the principal passages Of
Sir Charles Wilson's account Of the
most hsrd-contested battle ever fought
with strictly-ssvage enemy;
"When the skirmishers got within
Q about two hundred yards Of the flags
the square was halted for the rear TO
close up, and at this moment the enemy
rose from the ravine in which they were
hidden in the most perfect eorder. 1t
was a beautiful and striking sight
such q one as Fitz-James must have seen
when Roderick Dhu's men rose OFT Of
the heather; nothing could be moro sp-
plicable than Scott's description. How
they managed to conceal their horses
! know not, but they did so very effec-
tually. The formation was curious, a
sort of variety Of the old phalanx. 1t
was rs If there were portions OF three
phslanxes with rows OF men behind.
At the head Of each rode an emir or
sheikh with banner, accompanied by
personal attendants, and then came the
fighting men. They advanced at a
quick, even pace, as if on parade, and
our skirmishers had only Just time to
get into the square before they were
upon us. One poor fellow who Jagged
behind was caught and speared at
once"
Sir Charles Wilson has q good deal
to say about how the square was
broken. and he shows what happened
when the Arabs got in and the manner
in which they were expelled or exter-
minated. Into that we have now no
space to enter, but the two following
incidents will serve to show how full
the volume is OF interesting bits:
when they got within eighty yards
the fire Of the guards and mounted in
fantry began to take good effect, and
huge pile Of dead rose in front Of them.
Then, TO my establishment, the enemy
took ground to the right, as if on pa
rade, so as to envelope the rear of the
square. | remember thinking BY
Joye, they will be into the square, and
almost the next moment | saw fine
old sheikh on horseback plant his
banner in the centre OF the square
behind the camels. lie was at
once shot down, falling on his
banner. lie turned out to be Musa,
emir Of the Duguainu Arabs, from
Kordofan. ! had noticed him in the
advance, with his banner in one hand
and book of prayers in the other, and
never saw anything finer. The old man
never swerved to the right or to the
left, and never ceased chanting his
prayers until he had planted his banner
in our square. If any man deserved
place in the Moslem Paradise he did"
The second incident refers to the act
Of an English officer:
"Curious how ones feelings get
blunted by the sight Of blood and hOr-
roTs. There was one strange incident.
An unwounded Arab, armed with a
spear, jumped up and charged an OFF,
GER. The officer grasped the spear with
his left hand and with his right ran his
sword through the Arabs body; and
there for few seconds they stood, the
officer being unable TO withdraw his
sword until man ran up and shot the
Arab. 1t was living embodiment Of
one Of the old gladiatorial frescoes Of
Pompeii. 1t did not, strange to say,
seem horrible {; rather, after what had
passed, an everyday occurrence. |
used to wonder before how the Romans
could look on at the gladiatorial fights
do so no longer"
At Abu Kles Sir Charles Wilson was
not in the same responsible position as
he held in the later battle Of Metemneh
or Abu Kru as it is officially desig-
mated. Here, after Sir Hubert Stew
arts wound, he was in command, and
the fighting was only less desperate in
that the attack was more successfully
repulsed than on the earlier occasion.
Our men had undergone incredible
labors, and, on the other hand, many
Of the enemy were fresh troops, but
the result Of the struggle was never
seriously in doubt, although the odds
were greatly in favor of the Arabs.
Sir Charles Wilson's description Of this
memorable engagement will be read
with lively feelings Of emotion, and can
not fail to recall Macaulay's celebrated
passage-that the courage Of English
troops is never more conspicuous than
towards the close Of doubtful day.
lie says;
IL fully felt the gravity Of the situa-
ton. but from the moment | entered
the square | felt no anxiety as to the
result. The mems faces were SGT in a
determined way which means business,
and knew they intended to drink
from the Nile that night. was never
so much struck with the appearance of
the men ; they moved in a cool, col
lected way, without noise or any APP
pearanee Of excitement. Many, as |
afterwards heard, never expected to get
through, but were determined to sell
their lives dearly. One officers ser
want came with large skin of water,
determined, as he sfterward said,
not TO die thirsty. Things
began to look ugly, and some Of the
officers told me afterwards that they
thought We should have been obliged
to turn back without reaching the Nile.
That, however, We should never have
done, as failure meant humiliation.
was walking just behind the Marines,
and one poor fellow fell dead almost
into my arms. The men were quite
steady, with set. determined look about
their faces, and l knew they could be
trusted. All Mt once, as suddenly as at
Abu Klea, the firing ceased, and the ene-
my's spearmen came running down the
bill at a great pace, with several horse
men in front. 1t was q relief to know
the crisis had come. The square was
at once halted to receive the charge, and
81 -. -. mama xapt 10 THAR faaltnUc a