Highland recorder. (Monterey, Highland County, Va.) 1877-1972, 1896-06-19
BLOODY BATTLE.
Egyptian Troops Capture Firket,
Egypt
1000 DERVISHES KILLED.
EmIr Hammuda, a Great raVo'''9
with the Khalifa, Who Com
manded the Dervlshes
Forces, Among
the Dead.

FIrkct was taken by Egyptian troops at
an early hour Sunday morning, ana 'non
manner of acquitting themselves IN tnis' 'n'
first engagement Of the Nile campaign n.'S
given satisfaction to the British ofncers III
command c. them.
The Egvptian forces left Akasheb, the
Egyptian outpost, June 6. Tho mo'enon'
was surprise, as it seemed to have peeh oe'
termined to hold Akasheh rs an outpost un-
til the hot season is past and the perioa "r-
rived for the advance upon Dongola In the
latter part of August or In September. Inc
force responded promptly to orders, now
ever. and was soon under, way Tor tnis
noint The distance Is twenty miles, and u,
took the whole night to accomplish tne
march,
The greatest secrecy had been maintained
as TO all the arrangements, and every pro-
caution was taken to prevent the news oil the
advance from leaking out. The night long
march was pursued in absolute silence. In
consequence, the arrival OF the Egyptians az
the deryish camp took the enemy completely
by surprise.
They quickly rallied, however, and rushed
to their arms. Far from being routed IN tne
first skrmish of the attack, they stood to
their positions and made stubborn detensS -
of the camp for an hour and half, during
which there was hard fighting
The deryshes were finally put to rout by
O. aank movement executed by the cavalry.
Seeing themselves in danger Of being sur
rounded, the forces OF the Khalita TOOK
fight to tho southwark, towards Suarda,
pursued by the cavalry. Suarda is nearly a
hundred miles south Of Firket, but it Is
strongly held by force OF several thousand
dervishes.
Reports received 50 far indicate tho loss
70 the dervishes will amosnt to q thousand
men. Among those killed is the Emir Ham
mudn. who was their commander, besides
many important chiefs, Hammuda was In
cJnmand OF the larger force at Suarda. He
was o. the tribe OF Habbania and was we'll
known to Slatin Pasha, while tic latter VAS
a captive of the Kahlifa in the Soudan.
Slatin has described him as great favor
ite with the Khalifa, who promoted him to
the rank of Emir because he left his own
tribe when the insurrection first broke out
to serve tbe Khalifa personally,
II was probable that the taking Of Flrses
was decided upon owing 70 the doubtful
strength Of Akasheh as an outpost, snrroun-
ded az 1t is ly low hills, tho taking Of which
would make Akasheh death trap. The sA-
jshing Of tho railroad line from sarras las
teen rapidly pushed since the eKpedii!ep was
determined upon. BY extending It p, Fir
ket the worst cataract will be turned and
early advantage can thus be taken OF tho
rise in the Nile at the end Of July for water
transport to Dongoa
The officers in command OF the Egyptian
forces express great qualification at the con-
duct in this fight of the Egyptians, about
whom some doubts have beer felt, and the
Soudanese who have been looked to with
confidence for good lighting. Both the
Egyptians and Soudanese displayed great
steadiness and dash. The Egyptian loss In
the fight was twenty killed and eighty woun-
ded. Hundreds OF dervishes WIRE taken
prisoners