Omaha daily bee., 1888-12-21
BLOODY BATTLE AT SUAKIM.
The British and Egyptian Forces
Storm the Trenches.
BRAVE FIGHT BY THE REBELS.
Notwithstanding Their Disastrous
Repulse, 10 is Believed They Will
Make an Attempt to Retake
Their Lost Position.
Another Defeat for the Rcbcis.

LONDON, Dec. 20.-A dispatch from Sua-
kim says the combined forces of the British
and Egyptians have made an attack upon
the rebel position. They stormed the re
doubts and trenches, and after an engage
ment lasting half an hour drove the enemy
into the bush. The British force lost four
men killed and two wounded The Egyptian
and black regiments charged the trenches
and carried them, losing two men killed and
thirty wounded. The only officers wounded
in the attacking force were two Egyptians.
The rebel loss is stated to have been 400
Before dawn this morning the British
man of-war Starting and an Egyptian steamer
moved up the coast with orders to cover the
rebels at Handoub. At daybreak the forts
opened fire upon the rebel trenches and the
troops advanced to the attack, the black bri-
gade upon the right flank and the cavalry
and mounted infantry covering. The Scot
tish Borderers, the Welsh regiment and
the Egyptian brigade occupied the embank-
ment between the forts, the British infantry
being held in reserve. The forts sbeled the
trenches, keeping UP q terrific firing. The
enemy held their ground with courage until
the black brigade charged the trenches
which fell after u half hours hard fighting
The rebels fought with fanatical bravery.
Two of the enemy's guns were captured.
The Scotch Borderers are now at work
entrenching the rebel position. The enemy
are retreatng toward Hasheen and Tamar.
The British force numbered 1000 men.
The feature of the fighting was the deter.
mined rush upon the trenches by the blacks
and Egyptians. The Dervishes fought with
the utmost bravery, n great many OF them
dying in the trenches. The charge of the
Hussars is also specially mentioned. When
the Dervish cavalry saw them coming they
dismounted from their horses and planted
their spears in the ground, but these proved
no obstruction to the Hussars, who swept
down upon the Dervish horsemen like an
avalanche, cut through the ranks, and left
half of them dead on the ground. The Hus
sars then reformed and charged the remain
ing Dervishes who fled. A large portion of
the rebel force was not engaged in the fight,
being absent camping at Haudoub and beyond
that place. 1t is believed the rebels Will be
reinforced and make an attempt soon to re-
take their lost position
SUAKIM, Dec. 90 Osman Digna's nephew
and twelve dervshes have been captured.
All are wounded. Serious complaints are
made concerning the quality Of sabres and
revolvers furnished to the troops. Several
cavalrymen returned with broken sabres,
and in many instances their revolvers became
clogged and were rendered useless
Three Zerebas and stockade were built
over the filled trenches and manned by four
Soudanese battalions and British soldiers.
The space between them and the water fort
was occupied by battalion OF horse ar
tillery The emir of Trnkitat is prisoner.
He is wounded.
LONDON, Dec 2O.-A dispatch to the
Times from Suakim says: The prisoners
say they believe that all the mounted gun
ners were killed. All tell the same story of
privation and cruelty at the hands of
the Mahdi and Osman Digna. None of
them wished to fight but were
forced to do so, or persuaded to fight by
promises of loot at Suakim and other re-
words. The trenches were bare. They
found no food, clothing or money, but only
Snider rifles and cartridges. The prisoners
know nothing of the reported capture of
Emin, or the fall of the equatorial provinces.
The natives assert that Handoub would fall
at the first approach of our troops. The gov
ernment ought not to lose this chance. The
task is an easy one, as there is not the slight
est sign of any gatherings of local tribes"