The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1888-12-21
A BIG BATTLE AT SUAKIM
THE ARABS FLEE AFTER LOSING
FOUR HUNDRED KILLED.

Egyptians have made an attack upon the
rebel position. They stormed the redoubts
and trenches, and, after brilliant engage
ment lasting half an hour, drove the enemy
into the bush. The rebels are reported to
have lost 400 men killed. The British are
encampad in the rebel position. The victory
was complete.
The orders to send achievements of
troops to the Mediterranean have been
countermaYded.
STORY OF A CORRESPONDENT.
The Standards correspondent at Suakim
sends the following particulars of the bat
tie: At 4:30 O'Clock this morning the man
of-war Racer opened the hattie by Smelling
the enemy's trenches. The ships
landed parties who lighted fires and placed
dummies in position. This had the effect
of deceiving the enemy coming from Han
daub. The whole force moved toward the
enemy's left flank with the naval detach
ment and with machine guns, the cavalry
and mounted Infantry scouting and
protecting the TANKS and rear
Two lines, comprising battallons
in double companies, rushed iowa the left
cor err of the enemy's trenches, the British
infantry and the Egyptian reserve lining
the embankmeat bet cen the water forts.
Gen. Greenfield and staff occupied posi- ion
TO the left of the water forts. From
o'clock heavy salvoes of guns and MOI tars
from every fort bore on the trenches.
THE BRITISH LOSS.
The British lost four men killed and two
wou 'ded during a gallant cavalry charge.
The Egyptian and black regiments charged
the trenches and carried tn IN brillia tly,
losing two men killed and thirty wounded.
The only officers wounded in the attacking
force were two Egyptians.
sUAKIM NOT TO BE ABANDONED.
At Scarborough, to-day, Lord Salisbury
in a speech said the ministry had no inten-
ton of entangling the country in a new
abandon Suakim. The English, Egyp-
tian and Turkish ministers were
unanimously of the opinion that
Suakim must not be abandoned. Lord
Salisbury continued: GAS long as the
khedive desires it, we shall maintain
Red sea ports. We are bound under a
promise made by Ex-Premier Gladstone's
government to do so. The British states
mans first duty is to prevent foreigners
from thinking that every cha ge of gov
eminent ii ust necessarily mean the chang
ing of our foreign policy. 1t would be mad
ness to surrender Suakim when we are on
the eve of suppresSing slavery, because the
final struggle with the slave dealers must
be fought upon the Red sea. By the treaty
of Paris, we are bound to uphold the integ
rity Of the sultan's empire"
SALISBURY REITERATEs.
Lord Salisbury, speaking at a public
meeting this evening, again declared that
the government had never had the slightest
intention of abandoning Suakim to the
S udanese. Coming down to the "Black-
incident ha AoriaH that n bod Mr.
Gladstone asserted, contemptuously de-
nounced the Indian people. The speech
was mainly a retrospect of the session. Re
ferring to the obstructive tactics in parlia-
ment he said that some way must be found
to remedy the evil.
PURSUING THE ARABS.
LONDON, Dec. 20, P. M-An official
dispatch from Gen. Grenfell, dated Suakim
II :25 a. m, says: 1.-THE enemy's loss wa
400 the trenches are nearly filled a4d two
temporary redoubts are being buil5. The
Joint forces are entreached. They will
bvouac on the field tonight, the
naval detachment with the machine guns
remaining in the trenches. have sent the
man-of-war Startling and available steamers
to anchor off Handonb in order to prevent
forces from Handoub coming upon us.
During the action the ID rvishes we're 30
severely punished that we exDect a quiet
night. This afternoon the Hussars, who
followed the fleeing Arabs returned They
chased the enemy to a point within four
miles Of Handoub. The enemy were still
flying"
BRAVERY OF THE DERvISHES.
A dispatch from Suakim says feature of
the fighting was the determined rush upo
the trenches by the blacks and Egyptians
The Dervishes fought with the utmost
bravery, a great many of them dying III
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 pears in the
ground, but these proved no obstruction 10
the hussars, who swept down upon the
Dervish horsemen, went through their
ranks like an avalanche and left half of them
dead on the ground. The hussars
then reformed and charged the remaining
Dervish S, who fed. A large portion of the
rebel force was not engaged in to-day's
fighting. being absent camping at Handoub
and the wells beyond that place. 1t is be-
lieved that the rebels will be reinforced and
will make an attempt soon to retake their
ost position.
CAUSE OF THE RISING.
BERLIN, Dec. 20.-Herr Dilthy, director
OF the German East Africa Company, has
the company is responsi 10 for the rising in
East Africa, which he attributes to the
slave dealers. He regards the assumption
Of imperial sovereignty in East Africa as
an imperative necessity.
COVERING HANDAUB.
SUAKIM, Dec. 20-Before dawn this
morning the British man-of-war Starring
and the Egyptian steamer moved up the
coast. with orders TO cover the rebels Of
Handaub. At daybreak the forts opened
fire upon the rebel trenches and the troops
advanced TO the attack, the black brigade
on the right flank and the cavalry aud
mounted infantry covering the left. The
Scottish borderers, Welsh regiment and the
Egyptian brigade occupied an embank ent
between the forts, the British infantry
being held in reserve.
A TERRIFIC FIRE.
The forts shelled tho trenches, keeping up
a terrific fire. The enemy held their ground
with intense courage until the black brigade
charged the trenches, which fell after half
an hours hard fighting. The rebels fought
with fanatical bravery. Two OF the enem 5
guns were captured. The naval b igaio
did splendid work. The Scottish Borderers
then went TO work entrenching the rebels
position. The enomy retire ted toward
Hasneen and lamar. The British fore
numbers 1900 men.
DI5NA's NEPHEW CAPTURED.
Osman Digna's nephew and twelve
dervishes have been captured All are
t.s .o,,,,,i.t,,ta ara mazda concarnlug