The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1896-09-21
Dervishes I'm Retreat Between Eel
Hafir and Dongola. the Enemy
Being Completely Routed.
ALLAH AGAINST WAD BISHARH
FANATICS EXPECTED TO MAKE An
OTHER DESPERATE STAND.
London Papers Hope the Good Work
of determination I'm Egypt Will
Continue to Prosper.

| Copyright, 1896, by the Associated Press.)
| KERMA, on the Nile, Sept. 2O.-The city
of Dongola has fallen and the nom-
inal objective point of the British-Egypt-
ian expedition has been reached. The river
forces of the British Egyptian expedition,
| pushing up the Nile from Eel Hadr,
! landed a force at Dongola and occupied
| that place before the Dervish forces, re-
treating from Ell Hafr. reached that point.
| Ell Hahr and Dongola are therefore both
| in the hands of the expedition while the
| Dervish forces are somewhere between,
/ seeking refuge.
Yesterday afternoon Ito resume the con-
nected narrative of the expedtion) the
| long-range firing continued between the
! Dervishes the west bank OF the Nile
and the expeditionary force on this side.
The Maxim guns. with their sweeping hail
! of fire, did great execution in the Dervish
ranks, while the field and horse batteries
| never allowed the enemy to do anything
| with its batteries. Darkness put end to
| the artillery duel across the Nile, and still
| ness fell both camps. The night was
one of waiting, though the silence of the
desert was once broken by a discharge
| from the Maxim guns on this side of the
| river.
| This Sunday morning every one up
| at daybreak, anxious to know what
| ing the night and what would be the next
move, and eagerly scanning the enemy's
| camp across the river. There was no sign
of life in the Dervish works, but soon a
commotion perceived among the boats
| along the bank and a native in OF
| them was discerned in the act of waving
something. as though for a signal to this
side of the river.
The steamer Dal, of the expedtionary
force, thereupon proceeded to the west
bank of the river, where 1t was found that
FL Hafir had been evacuated by the enemy
under cover of the night and that not a
Dervish fighting man was left in sight.
The detachment on the Dal sent back to
the camp on this side of the river twenty
seven boats, which had been manned by
the native residents of Ell Hafir and loaded
with great quantity of grain.
The natives announced that the enemy
had departed and that Wad Rishara, the
young Emir of Dongola, who commanded
the Dervishes, was wounded in yesterdays
fight. A shell from an Egyptian battery
burst in his tent. inhicting wounds in his
breast and head, the former being severe
hurt.
After the gunboats of the expedition had
forced their way through past the forts
at Ell Hair, yesterday. and had proceeded
southwark toward Dongola, the Dervishes
apparently perceived that FL Hafir was no
longer the place for them. and they pre-
pared to depart. They buried as many Of
their dead as they had time for. The
rest were prepared with stone around
the neck 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
treasury and the grain store, the principal
stronghold of the town. This news was
received here with delight, as it is sup
between here and Dongola in a much ham
pered condition by the reason of the num-
Der OF wounded, and the retreat along the
which destroy at any moment 1.-The
cannot hold that place, against the re,
treating forces of Dervishes until the land
forces of the expedition have advanced to
co-operate with them.
Yesterdays engagement at El Hafir
seems to have altogether dismayed the
the the fort at that place they believed that
fort would be able to prevent the passage
up the Nile. The artillery fire from this,
side of the river seems TO have entirelyk
disconnected them, their batteries being
destroyed the smoke from
them indicated a target for the British
and Egyptian gunners.
As soon as the news Of the evacuation OF
proceeded to cross the river and make q
was found that their mud defenses had
been built with great care, but the rlne
trenches only permitted the men a very
short and straight front for protection.
Mats were still strewn along. and within
were the remains Of the carcasses Of
sheep which had been killed to supply
food to the defenders. The dead had been
buried or thrown into the river.
Further south on the river ,; bank was
Contained Ave embrasures for guns, three
in front and two at the side This bat
ter tery nfilep9 nap pye re from the east bank and
from the steamers. Still further south was
nor3h big amt en To he Ne There was
ticed the same system OF piercing the wall
ia such a way as to allow nring only IN n
was apparent that the rifemen had made
a plucky resistance, staying in the trench
was evidenced by the quantity OF dates
and water gourds lying about, left In the
retreat.
wAD BIsHARA WOUNDED.
The native residents of El Hafir have well
coined the appearance of the British
and Egyptian expedition and seem to re-
gard their advance as assurance OF deiiv-
erance from the rule of the Khalifa and the
Raggaras. the Khalifa's native tribe. who
have exercised cruel dominion over the
wine tribes. From the description of yes
terdays fight furnished by the natives 1t
appears that the Dervish cavalry kept out
ing for a landing of opposing forces to take
part Wad Bishara, the Dervish command
er. was wounded at about noon and was
Immediately carried out of range of the
fire, repeatedly eXclaiming TO those who
surrounded him: Allah is against me-
Wad Bishara decided TO evacuate his po-
sition during the night He was able 70 re-
move his guns but he forced TO leave
behind Il great quantity of ammunition for
both the artillery and the rifles. The Der
wish steamer. which was sunk by the expe-
dition's horse battery, was said to have also
been loaded with ammunition and guns.
This morning at 6.33 O'Clock the troops OF
the expedition began crossing the river. Nc
Donalds brigade was the trst over and the
soldiers were met with the widest and
maddest signs of delight by the natives.
They shouted in a frenzied manner and
danced about the troops singing and shout
ing like unatic.. The first Use made OF the
captured Dervish boats was TO transport
the Second Brigade TO FL Hafir. which is
very fertile snot, offering plenty OF green
herbage for the animais-a pleasing con-
trast TO the rough rocks and desert sanda