New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1897-08-12
THE CAPTURE OF ABU HAMID
DERvIsHEs ROUTED ONLY AFTER HARD
FIGHTING

FURTHER DETAILS OF THE ATTACK BY COLONEL.
HUNTERS FoRCE-pROGREss or THE ANGLO
EGYPTIAN NILE EXPEDITION.
Cairo. Aug 11.-OfIicial dispatches from As
,ouan. on the Nile near the First Cataract. give
details of the capture Of Abu Hamod on August
7 by the Anglo Egyptian troops under Colonel
Hunter after an eighteen hours march from
Merav:
Colonel Hunter kept all his preparations for
the attack strict secre; in order TO prevent the
spies OF the Khalifa in the Soudan from getting
wind Of his plans. He declined to allow any
newspaper correspondents TO accompany the
columns 10 the front
After carrying the high ground overlooking
the town. the Anglo Egyptian troops advanced
10 the attack upon the village. A stubborn
house-to- house fight ensued. and Colonel Hunter
was obliged TO bring up the artillery before 1t
was possible to carry the position
The total loss was twenty one killed and sixty
one wounded, of whom the 10th Soudanese
battalion lost fourteen killed. among them two
British officers. and thrty-four wounded. Major
H. NJ Sidney fell MORALLY wounded while lead
ing his men to the attack and died in five min
utes Lieutenant Fitz-Clarence was shot al
most al the same moment through the heart.
rhree Fgyptian officers received severe gunshot
wounds.
Colonel Hunter in his dispatches highly praises
the steadiness and dash of the troops throughout
tho engagement The village is a network Of
cre wded houses and twisting narrow alleys, so
that most OF the fighting was done at the point
OF the bayonet
The Dervishes repeatedly charged throughout
the narrow streets.
Finally their cavalry, having lost over nan
their number fled precipitately, followed py
about one hundred infantry. These were all
that escaped The Dervish COMMANDER, Ma
homet Zein, was captured. An nt,ais ,.jtb
known Fmir stubbornly defended hlmset WIN
his followers in a strongly fortified house, anu
was only killed at last when the house was oe-
stroyed by the artillery.
a large number OF prisoners arms stahua a us,
carnels and horses with other property were
talsn The Nile at Merawi is in most UNI
rloasant state from the corpses floating down;
The inha bitants as during the advance o. lhe
Dongola expedition nave shoW M. e> t rsi on
rejoicing at their delverance from Dervlsh ol-
,,r,.esion The garrison at Abu Hand had peeh
much increased since the khaluas deleat 81 tile
IaaNn tribe and the capture OF MeteIlheh y!
his forces on the other hand. Colonel hunter
traous we're assisted in capturing Inc TOWN. d!
some friendly Arabs from Murad
The loss of Major Sidney and Lieutenant fltz-
Clarence is deeply depored. They were popular
IN the army. , T.. -, ro,,ovrs.
Tho khalifa continues TO reinforce the army OK
occupation at Metemneh under Mahmoui; bOti,
sides of the river have been fcruhed Mahilouu
RECENTLY sent achievements to Berber, put re-
called them hearing of the advance 10y Noi-
onel Hunter upon Abu Hanid ,, -
He now threatens 10 advance on JakduI' d
village held by friendly Arabs; but Is ~
pected that the arrival Of the gunboats at Anu
Hamid shortly will prevent him from IeaNlhs
Metemneh with any considerable force