Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1891-02-01
Description of One of the Bloodiest
Engagements With the Arabs
by a Participant.
TIE BLACK WATCH AT ITS BEST.
Incidents of the Butchery and Deeds oi
Valor in Hand-to-Hand Conflicts
on the Hillsides.
MARCHING OVER THE BURNING SANDS.
Hrv General Earle Met Els Dssth and the Awful
Revenge Of His Command
WRITTEN FOR THE p1sPArcH.l

"Geordle, cannot go any further. am
done up completely"
Look here, McNeill. you must 60 on.
If you fall behind now, these id Soudan-
ese friendlies Will murder you. Here, try
this" and he handed me his water bottle
containing little-a very little-tea. 1
drank, and was Immediately refreshed, for
like the young soldier 1 was, Ihad thought
lessly drained my own supply of water
some hours before, and that meant for me
torture from thirst until the following
morning, when our bottles would be replen-
ished from the commissariat again.
was private in that weIl-known regi-
ment of Highlanders, 'The Black Watch, |"
and we were then in the desert column, a
part of the forces. which under the general
ship of Lord Wolseley, were proceeding to
Khartoum for the relief of General Gordon.
We were under the command of General
Earle, a thoroughly brave and experienced
officer, who had risen from the ranks. We
were somewhere on the desert between Am
mara and Kirbekan. All day long we had
been pestered bv the heat, and the Arabs
were close upon us. We were marching in
square and that made it worse for us, and 1
was just going to lie down to die when
Geordie gave me his last drop of tea.
Geordie Terris, my comrade, was a we'll
built Highlander, possessing the strength of
two ordinary men and the caution of a
dozen.
An Attack in the Night.
On we staggered through that desert, sink
ing ankle deep in the sand at every step,
until about in the afternoon, when we got
the order TO halt for the night; but our work
was not over, for we had then to go and cut
wood from the scrub to form a zereba or
stocksde round the camp. After this was
done, 1 threw myself down on the hot sand,
too tired and exhausted to eat the hard biscuit
that Geordie offered ME.
l had slept about three hours when 1
was awakened by the report of a rife close
by me. In an instant all was uproar.
BLACK w atch, man the zereba," shouted
our Colonel, Jamie Green, and as we had
lain down in our ranks all round the zereba,
this was not difficult to do. The men of the
Stafford Regiment were blazing away
on their side of the zereba, snd
for the moment all was confusion, for the
darkness was intense. The firing ceased al
most as suddenly as it began, and then there
was silence except for the orders from the
General to his staff. We silently awaited
The terrible yell of the Arabs, and the sud-
den rush which we knew too well, but none
came. Two hours we stood waiting. Then
scouts were sent out in all directions to see
where the enemy was.
1t Was a False Alarm.
When they came back and reported no
enemy in sight, we were allowed to lie down
again. 1t was false alarm, but there was
no more sleep for me that night. My nerves
had been strung to their utmost. When
morning came, l went over to the company
orderly corporal to get Geordie's rations
and my own Tor the Gay, and had breakfast
ready before Geordie awoke. After break
fast we fell in and marched out of the
Eereba towards some hills that Law about
seven miles in front of us. The camel corps
was sent away ahead to recornoiter.
1t was beautiful morning, and the sun
had not yet risen. We were all in capital
spirits, laughing and chatting with each
other. Some soldiers in the leading CON-
pany commenced singing, ''Maxwelltoun
Braes Are Bonnie, and before they had
reached the second line, the song was taken
up company after company until the whole
Regiment of Highlanders Joined in "Where
early falls the dew; and tits there that
Annie Laurie gave me her promise true"
even our stern old Colonel turning on his
horse to start the air over and over again.
The BILLS Full of Arabs.
When within short distance of the hills
we formed into fighting order again, and
Just in time, too, Tor q little later a shell
burst quite close to u.s. The hills were
teeming with Arabs. General Earle sent
an officer of his staff with a dispatch telling
the Soudanese to let us pass peaceabIy and
we would not harm them. The officer rode
away with a white handkerchief tied to the
end Of his sword. waving the token of peace
to attract their attention. The Soudanese
ceased firing until he came close to them,
when all al once they opened fire on him,
but he seemed not to heed their bullets, for
he rode straight at them. When close TO
their position, he threw the dispatch at
them; then, turning his horse quickly, he
galloped back to our lines, pursued by about
100 mounted Arabs. He reached us in
safety.
During this piece of by play our troops
had not been idle. Three companies of nv
own regiment had been dispatched along
with the marines to the other side of the
hills, for the purpose of outhanking the
enemy; then the Stafords moved forward to
the ''attack," forming their own supports.
We were to be the attacking party, and
we had hitherto fought in square on the de-
fensive. The soldier who has once fought in
square does not wish Tor a repetition of its
horrors-crushed together until one has not
room to use his apons, enveloped in smoke
until heean't see anything in front of him,
with the yells of the Arabs on all sides
rising above the incessant roar of musketry.
Ii one has to die in battle, it is far better to
die attacking than to be butchered in
square.
The Colonel Gets Angry.
Our regiment was advancing slowly round
the base of the hill, when a regular storm of
bullets swept among US, killing some and
wounding many. Lie down, laddiesv
commanded Colonel Green, but he still re-
maiDed on horseback himself good mark
for the enemy. There was a huge rock
alongside Colonel Green, and a weILaimed
volley struck this rock, causing the chips to
fly all over him. The Colonel evidently
thought that some mutinous soldiers were
throwing stones at him, for, turning angrily
to US, be roared: who's that poppin'
Btanes2"
This set US laughing, which was, after all,
what the Colonel wanted, for, smiling, he
turned to watch the Soudanese again.
The Stafords had by this time reached
their position, and We got the order to ad-
vance. We moved but slowly. firing vol
leys occasionally, until we reached an ele-
waited portion OF ground, where we lay down
and poured volley after volley into the dense
crowd OF Arabs, so as to cover the advance
of the Staffordshire regiment The Staffords
advanced, taking advantage OF every piece
of cover, until they came within $50 yards
Of the enemy, when their bugles sounded
the charge, and then, with a cheer, they
rushed up the bill. But the terrible fire Of
the Arabs drove them back to their cover.
Twice they tried and tailed, and as they
were resting for their third attempt General
Earle Ralloped over to US and shouted: