The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1896-04-09
All the Tribes I'm the Soudan Ordered
to Send Their Fighters to the
Kahlifa's Camp.
LONG CAMPAIGN PROBABLE
ANXIETY FOR SAFETY OF THE An
GLO-EGYPTIAN ADVANCE FORCE.
RefnfOrcements Hurryfng to the
Front-Elaborate Arrangements for
Transportation Of Troops.

CAIRO, April S-Each additional budget
of news from the front increases the anx-
iety here in unofficial circles as TO the fate
of the vanguard Of the Anglo-Egyptian
forces operating up the Nile as preliminary
to the advance in force on Dongola, for
which troops are being rapidly concentrated
at Wady-Halfa. The news OF the move
ment southwark of the troops has spread
with that wonderful rapidity which has fire.
quently been noticed as ore of the features
of campaigning in the Soudan. While the
British intelligence department experiences
the greatest difficulty in obtaining informa-
ton regarding the movements Of the Der
wishes, the latter, apparently having spies
in all quarters. succeed in transmitting inn
portant news with lightning-like rapidity
from one part Of the country to the other.
Thus, in some mysterious manner, the news
Of the Anglo-Egyptian advance has been
communicated to the most distant quarters
of the Mohammedan world, and the depart
ure of pilgrims for Mecca has been suspend
ed, which means that The Khalifa Is calling
on his warriors to muster TO the standard
and that the jehad iholy WARP which he
recently proclaimed against Egypt is to be
pushed with all the desperate energy Of the
Dervish leaders.
The Khalifa has decreed that the tribes
Immediately collect and forward to Omdur-
man heavy war tax, that the pick of the
warriors be hurried to that camp and that
all preparations be made for long cam
paign. He expects, 1t is currently reported.
TO muster an army of fifty thousand men,
composed Of the best fighting men Of the
soudan at Omdurman by September, when
the Angio-Egyptian advance will be met
by the Khalifa in person. The latter has re-
called the Dervlsh armies from Fashioda
and Darfur, and it is believed that the
siege of Kassala will shortly be raised.
even IL 1t has not already been raised. in
order that the Dervshes now before that
p.ace may be utilized at Khartoum and
Dongola-
The Khailfa, writing to the sheik Of As
souan, under date of December last, SAID
that he was always ready to submit to the
authority Of the Khedive OF Egypt, as the
representative of the Sultan, but that he
would resist to the death any expedition
OCCUPY the country" The khalifa conclud-
ed: II am aware that the British desire
to have me assassinated. but have taken
precautions that none OF the European priS-
oners shall survive my murder.
BASE OF OPERATIONS.
Though wady-Halfa is really the base Of
place of little Importance, about ninety
miles south of wadyHalfa, is the present
base of operations. 1t is to that point that
the light railroad is being pushed for the
conveyance of men, supplies, etc. and
there, it is believed, the fighting will occur.
for telegraphic communication with the
vanguard occupying Akasheh has already
been twice cut off. and the Dervishes are
believed to be gathering in force in the
vicinity of that place. Hence the anxiety
here. Akasheh was occupied by a small
column of troops under Major Collinson.
without opposition, on March 20, and from
that time on reinforcements and stores
have been pushed forward by rail- where
possible and by river boats when the rail-
road could not be used. Akasheh is now
The sidar of the Anglo-Egyptian army,
| Sir Herbert Kitchener, is at present in
supreme command of the operations He
is young and ambitious, thoroughly famil-
| lar with the methods of Soudanese, born
fighter and officer having the full con-
fdence Of those serving under him. But IT
Is expected that the wiseacres OF the Brit
| mand of the troops by an older officer, one
more experienced In the handling OF large
Dongola commences Some man like Gren-
| fell, Butler or Wood will then, 1t Is be-
| lieved succeed Kitchener before September.
1t is told of Sir Herbert Kitchener that in
one OF the Suakin campaigns he was en-
p.oyed in consular work along the coast
| OF Asia Minor. but when he heard of the
| fighting he left his post without leave,
wac badly wounded in action. a bullet
| lodging in his throat, and ne was con-
| veyed TO Cairo, where 1t was proposed to
| try him by court martial but as he had
offense was fighting without permission,
the matter was dropped. He speaks Arabic
perfectly.
| in the advance on Dongola will, it is ex-
pected, number about 5000 men, and in ad-
| dition there will be about 1900 Egyptian
GERS. The purely British force will prob
| ably consist of the Second Connaught
| Rangers. the First Gloucestershire, the
| First North staffordshire. detachment OF
| the Royal Engineers, two or three batteries
| of the royal artillery, camel corps Of
British cavalrymen (besides the Egyptian
camel corps and the Second Dragon
| Guards. Colonel Hunter is in commend al
| Wady-Halfa, General Knowles and Major
Genera, Henderson command at Alexandra
| and other British officers OF rank are now
| battalions of the North Staffordshire Regi-
ment are already at Wady-Halfa. where
| there are about 5000 Egyptian troops, and
more arriving every day.
A TERRIBLE MASSACRE.
| Some prophets say that the advance OF
| Dongola will be commenced when ten thou
| sand men are concentrated at Akasheh, bu
| lief here, there will be another terrible dis
| aster similar to that of 1883. when Hicks
/ Pasha, at the head of about eleven thou
sand Egyptian troops. was decoyed into
| defile and attacked by overwhelming mum
bers. They formed squares and Tough
| bravey to the last, but were massacred I,
man, and the Mahdists are now partI,
equipped with rifles and guns which the,
1 fell into their hands.
The work OF dispatchlng troops to the from
| Is carried on in the most admirable man
| ner. with great regularity and without
| hitch CT any kind. Shortly after the move
ment SoutnTard was ordered five thousanl
men, thoroughly equipped in every respec
| for long campaign. were sent out from thi
| They were previously reviewed by the Khe
| dive and We're full of the right kind of en-
/ thusiasm. The work of Gordon Bey who /,
| charge OF the citadel, had the furnishing
| equipping and transporting of these troops
has been greatly commended. The employe
| of the citadel have been working night an
| day since military operations were decide
seven thousand pack saddles for camels Vi
| to date.
j. II. Macdonald will shortly relieve Col
Hunter Of the command at Akasheh, in orde
| that the latter may return 10 Wady-Half;
| for short time.
Some idea of the neat manner in whicl
troops and supplies are being sent south
| ward may be gathered fron the statemen
| that Messrs. Cook. who have contracted L
DO this work, recently conveyed $500 men
fully armed and equipped, by steamers an
parses' from Balliana TO Assouan, . dis