Cottonwood report. [volume] (Cottonwood, Idaho) 1893-1901, 1896-09-25
MAD BlSHARA RETREATS
tDONGOLA CAPTURED BY BRITISH
EGYPTIAN EXPEDITION.
peryish Commander Was Seriously
Hurt and Many of the Ma
tives Killed.

point of the British-Egyptian expedition
has been reached
The rivar forces of the British Egyo-
tian expedition, pushing up tho Nile
from Ell Hafir. landed force at Dom
COLA and occupied that place before the
Dervish forces retreating from Ell Hahr
reached that point. Ell Hafir and Don
COLA are therefore both In the hanos
of the expedition, while the Dervish for
ces are somewhere between seeking a
refuge.
Yesterday Ito resume the disconnected
& narrative of the expedition) the long
nange firing continued between the Deg
Vishes on the west bank of the Nile and
the exreditionary force on this side The
s Maxim guns, with their sweeping hail
ofEhres&stid great execution in the Der
wish f8hks, while the field and horse
batteries never allowed the enemy to
do anything with their batteries.
Darkness put an end to the artillery
duel across the Nile water and stiffness
fell upon both camps. The night was
one of waiting, though the silence OF the
desert was once broken by discharge
of the Maxim guns on this side of the
river. In the morning every one was up
at daybreak, anxious to know what
change in the situation had developed in
the night and what would be the next
move, and eagerly scanning the enemys
camp across the river. There was no
sign of life in the Dervish camp. but
soon a commotion was perceived among
the boats along the bank, and native
in one of them was discerned In the act
of waving something as though for a sig
nal to this side of the river The steam
er Dial of tho expeditionary force there
upon proceeded to the west bank of the
river, where it was found that Ell Hair
had been evacuated by the enemy. UNI
der cover of the night, and that not
IOprViSh fighting left in sight
The detachment on the Dial sent back
to the camp on this side of the river q
boats which had been manned by the
native residents of El Hafir and loaded
with a great quantity of grain.
The natives announced that the enemy
had departed and that Wad Bishara, the
young emir of Dongola, who commanded
the Dervishes was wounded in yester-
days fight. A shell from an Egyptian
battery burst in his tent INJECTING
wounds in his breast and head, the for
mer being severe hurt
Hurled Their Dead and Decamped,
After the gunboats of the expedition
had forced their way through past the
forts at Ri Hafir yesterday, and had
proceeded southwark toward Dongola,
the Dervishes apparently perceived that
El Hafir was no longer the place Tor
them and they prepared to depart. They
buried as many of their dead as they
Hdu lliilt IOT. ne rest WtIt PlCpdACu
with stone around their neeks and
thrown into the Nile
This afternoon the news arrived here
that the steamers and gunboats of the
expedition had reached Dongola, and
had landed a force which Immediately
occupied the principal stronghold. The
news was received here with delight, as
it is supposed that the enemy is now
marching between here and Dongola in
a much hampered condition. by the rea-
son of number of their wounded. ano
their retreat along the river bank
threatened by the steamers, which car
destroy at any moment the food sup
plies stored at Dongola, If they can mo-
hold place against the retreatins
forces of Dervishes until the land forces
of the expedition have advanced to co
operate with them.
Yesterdays engagement at Ell Han
seems to have altogether dismayed TIN
Dervishes, who placed great reliance up
on the fort at that place. They believed
that the fort would be able to proven
the passage of any of the steamers o
the expedition up the Nile. The artil
lery fire from this side of the rive
seems to have entirely disconcerte
them, their batteries being destroyed a
soon as the smoke from them Indicate
target for the British and Egyptia
gunners.
AS soon as the news of the evacuatio
of Ell Hafir was received, the correspond
ent of the Associated Press proceeded :
cross the river and make n survey G
the enemy's late position. 1t was foun
that their mud defenses had been bull
with great care, but the rifle trench.
only permitted the men a very short an
straight front for protection Mat
were still strewn along and within tn
trenches and in the straw shelters wer
the remains of carcasses of sheep, whis
had been killed to supply food to tn
defenders The dead had been burle
or thrown into the river.
Further south on the river bank wd
found their biggest battery. This wor
contained five embrasures for gun
three in front and two at the side
This battery had been terribly knock
about by the artillery fire from the ca;
bank and from the steamers.
Still further south was big intrencl
ment facing towards the north and ont
the Nile. There was noticed the san
system of piercing the wall in such
way as to allow firing only in one dire
ton. In this intrenchment it was appa
ent that the riflemen had made pluck
resistance staying in the trenches a
day and eating where they lay as WI
evidenced by the quantity of dates ar
water gourds lying about, left in the
retreat.
Natives Glad to See the Troops
The NATIVE residents of Ell Hafir ha,
welcomed THE appearance of the BIRTHS
and Egyptian expedition, and seem
regard their advance as assurance of
deliverance from the rule of the Khalii
and the Daggarass, the Khalifa's natl,
tribe, who have exercised cruel domin;
ton over the Nile tribes. From the d.
scription of yesterdays fight. furnishe
by the natives, it appears that the Der
ish cavalry kept out in the desert watcl
ing the fight and waiting for a landir
of opposing forces to take part.
Wad Bishara, the Dervish commando
was wounded at about noon and was in
mediately carried out of range of the fir
repeatedly exclaiming to those who SUI
rounded him: Allah is against me-
Wad Bishara decided to evacuate h
position during the night. He was alb
to remove his guns. but he was fore,
TO leave behind a quantity of ammunitiC