The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1896-04-05

l..
kots and two batteries OF field guns iel.
by the British as a present 20 King Joni
when they withdrew from AbyssiNa, 40
a reward for joining them against h'"s
Theodore >-o,ous
.srbe Emperor Of Abyssinia, or Nesoua,
as he is called by his people, ia 49,
over many petty kings, IKE the ,na
lords In England and Europe can
Necous has been just fuier' ~ ar
easily raise 100000 men FOR an ann, "a
about one-tenth OF the population ~ g.,f',
his people are native -waIIlois az. arsact
ers nut Theodore had been pe'i,sS
trront and when the British inNaoso
Abvssinla. these petty kings reiuseu ~
holm him. and the British. haVins spe
ab1ut nine million pounds stetn"e
vafp the neutrality or help OF 49,,
chiefs Theodore was unaDle 10 ne
over 300 men against the -,
,fonce ,esulted his easy defeat anu ni ne
.Iohn became Emperor or Nesous :"
place. ,,, had taken
After the Egyptian army n"e ss
refuge in the Notifications tH' 81, ,h.
ians bcsleged them They ha" iantrr.
artillery and the Remington Iines For-
"a nom Arrendrup and Munzihser'
.,'a,sI,, ali supplies necessary 10 SUP
'., ,he army for several mohths W."
4, Tho fort which was also proyidea wiz
= Number Of wells Besides, the i'esP
tions had an immense amount OF az"
munition. so the siege lasted many -,
The Eavptians fought well enough
they dnallv found that flight WAS linpS'
sfble and submission almost equaiiy '0
END OF THE KHEDiVE.
"After remaining around the lori iol
manv DAYS. the Abyssinians coliecteu q
large number of cattle, which they "a -
against the breastworks as V" 90
Themselves hoping that the bsyP''.
would exhaust cheir ammunition ." III
cottIe b,t The supply was too large. Inc
end Of the difficulty was that lne bS'
tians were very glad 10 De a'io .'''. and
leave the country with the" 80 -, ,he
baggage This expedition "i,e" ,,,ics
Khedive hoped would brlhs up ~, r. CON.
Of the Egyptlan bonds, had just lle ~
trarv effect. IL was the beginning Oh .le
end and two years later the
compelled to abdicate. ,.,uoan
.There IS a great similarity De ,.',,.,
the Egyptian and Italian eApe0i.'od
Tho italian government also pene'
ths, tho price OF the Italian bonds "ouIN
rise il the expedition was success 80
stead Of which the Italian army io9' ~,
600 ant NJ 1900 men, and II Is estiiha.en
,Lot n would cost twsnty-four hili''o'
,,o,,.,ds NJ sterling to it out another eN-
nedttlon with any hope OF success, az
sxnense which the Italian government -
not able to bear s over. In
after the campaign was
March. 1876, l came back noni .'io In
| OF the Nile, and at CAIRO met ~ ,,s,nion
rades who had been in the aye s''a a. !
ca,on.ipn and they gave me gies' 80 80
| Of Incarnation as 20 the country 80
uaonla The country is exceeding, ~
dnctive and has every variety OF ciiiI,e -
f,om the plains up to the snow-line- wa
on1 hunting wild beasts Is the occuP1-
| tion OF the men, while agriculture
| pursued by the women. Ihey na'o 10.
! snirit az independence, which character
| izes the mountaineers They raise nh"'
| titudes Of horses and cattle, ana can az
ON very little; they therefore 40 hos
ouire trains OF supplies. ike the Eu
pean armies. They are JUST as 'npSl,
tahle soldiers and fighters as the beaou
ms who defeated and drove back the
pr'tisb army under Woolsley so leho-
miniously. II the Italian government 10
we'll advised its troops Will leave ina.
| country which they had no right 70 u"
yade I do not believe that loO'uD Oh
| the hest Italian troops could cOhque
| Abvssinia with its natural fortinca'lois
| in the mountains. , H.
"From the dispatches published our
ing the past few days. 1t can be seen 'lla
| the savage barbarian KING MeheiVH'
trusting 10 the foods that VIII make 'ne
plains untenable for months 10 come
! has gone up into the highlands " po'
! form his Easter deyouohS, I'M -
| CHRISTIAN. and IS entertaining LOT tno
| restoration OF peace and for the ransom
! ., the italian prisoners. This may ps
| considered rather out OF the customs y.
| civilized warfare, but why shouiu -.
more so than exacting a war ihueNl -.
~ 200 millions OF francs, as was uone
| nv Germany at the end Of the frdH0o'
| Prussian war; anti. - an
"As 10 the proposed expedition OF an
EGYPTIAN army OF 10000 men, commune
| ed by English officers TO reconquei
part of the Egyptian Soudan' "heh o''o
| remembers the tremendous failure OF
rsi,ish army Of some 1900 men, VINO
| ala not succeed IN their attempt 10 res
cme Gordon. IL seems as II this adventure
| ,,ust end in a worse failure. IL Is tru'
| he Anglo Egyptian army VIII not %
| bandIcapped by being commanded os
| Woolsey in person, yet unless the Gnu
| acter of the Egyptian Feiahin mas cii,s
| - enormously since that day, no nsh'
| ir, ia "a be done out there. Ihey al
the weakest men on the face OF the ear"
tbev don't want TO fight anypody 'nes
have no desire 10 win the Mahohieu"i
paradise and they will break at the n'9
onset of the wild Bedouns' VINO uio''
back the British, and leave the uhioi0I
nate British officers TO be massaCIeu'
This ended the interview WITH Henei"
| colston about his experience while lVini
in Africa. When 1 asked him 10 klhui!
| ,ive me some information as TO his ehtir'
| ne tho General made the ioloWIh'
statement: .,r.,,,
GENERAL COLSTON'S CAREER.
"I graduated at the Virginia Milltar!
subsequently remained as professor
Institute. where I subsequently re
NAMED as a professor. For the tei
years preceding the late war
was a colleague of Stonewall Jackson
fought under Longstreet from YORK
town 10 Richmond, and later / command
ed the old Stonewall Division at Chan
cellorsville' Subsequently / served unde
Beauregard at Charleston. Savapnah, an
later at Petersburg / was commandlh
al Lynchburg at the time OF the surfeI
der. Some years later | was offered
nosftion on the general stan Of the Egyp
tan army, and | remained In that coun
try for six years ! received decora
ton OF Knight Commander OF the Turh
ish Order OF the Osmanieh Tor dlsuI
guished service. / am now spending IN
last days Of my life in great suffering a
the Camp Lee Soldiers Home, Richmons
Va"
In conclusion General Colston said tina
he formerly did a good deal OF wrltine
bur that now. owing 10 the numbnes
and stiffness OF his fingers, he can WITH
but very little.
General