The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1898-09-05
MARCHED INTO oMDuRMAN.
Special London Correspondents Story
of the Victory.

5000. Our whole force was engaged in the
fighting from $50 a. m. until sundown. The
Dervishes displayed marvellous bravery 10
the last. Instead of waiting for US in On-
ourman. where they could have made a re-
sistance that would have cost thousands
Of lives, they advanced to meet us. The
sight was extraordinary. Some 1900 men,
in four brigades, attempted to rush our
zeriba. With desperate gallantry they were
repulsed, suffering huge loss. Our Maxim
guns especially made terrible lanes in their
ranks. and our artillery dealt havoc in the
town, which was full of women. The Der
wish army of $1,000 is utterly broken. but
we are fully prepared to fight tomorrow if
they wish it,"
The Standards war correspondent also
pays tribute TO the magnificent courage of
the Dervishes. but says: Fortunately for
us, their leaders showed little or no wisdom
in choosing battlefield By not occupying
| the hill on our left front. the enemy missed
his opportunity" Describing the attempt of
the Baggara horsemen to retrieve the days
fortunes by final charge, the correspond
ent says: "Dashing across the level stretch
Of pebbiy SOIL the Khalifas cavalry rode
madly at the steady line of infantry. Our
troops awaited the charge without finch
ing. On came the Dervishes, but again the
deadly fire poured into them did its work.
Men and horses fell thick, and hardly
rider in that desperate charge escaped. A
large body of the enemys infantry undis-
mayed by the slaughter, could be seen pre-
pairing to follow the cavalry, but our field
artillery and Maxims, descending from the
hill on which they were posted came again
into action and the conflict entered a new
phase. The attack on our camp had been
| r0nufSed IA mil WAS
whether the defeat of the enemy was COM
plete. 1t was not long before the Dervishes
were seen in full flight towards the right.
leaving their dead on the field as they fed.
| Practically the whole army of the Khalifa
| was destroyed. Our casualties number over
| two hundred. Our losses in the zariba,
| when the enemy first attacked us, were
| small, considering the number of the enemy.
| Our artillery and rifle fire was terribly eff
fective. The Dervishes fought well. dis
| playing courage that would have seemed
| marvellous had we not known their spirit.
| The march to Omdurman after the great
| fight was comparatively without incident.
| The sirdar. with his chief of staff, General
Rundel, Colonel Wingate and Slatn Pasha,
rode behind two companies of Egyptians
and Soudanese, who proudly carried with
them the Khalifa's flag, the black banner
which was to lead his troops to victory"
"As we neared the place the people living
in houses outside the wall poured out in
| large numbers to welcome the victors with
hoarse shouts. Passing through a long
| street we came to the wall itself, a solid
looking piece of rough masonry. There had
been no need to employ forty-pounders to
effect breach. An entry was found near
the river, and the sirdar rode into Omdur-
man unopposed. The city seemed deserted,
save for women and some two score men,
who came forward to make submission and
lay down their arms. Around the ruined
tomb of the Mahdi the city extends on all
sides like rabbit warren"
The special correspondent Of the Times
with the Anglo-Egyptian forces teegraphs
as follows: 1.-The advance toward Omdur-
man was magnificent panorama. Our
whole front was covered by the English and
Egyptian cavalry and camel corps, spread
out, like huge fan, four miles in advance
and protecting a front of three miles. The
gunboats Melik, Sultan and Sheikh steamed
in single file. their decks cleared for action.
The British division advanced along the
river bank. Then came the Egyptian force
in battle formation, the sirdar and his staff
riding in the center, Gen. Kitchener being
easily distingushable in white. every one
else being in khaki"
Later, the correspondent says: 1.-The Om-
durman forts replied incessantly but they
had no chance against the quick-firing guns
on our gunboats. No better amphitheater
could possibly be found for an engagement
The plain, smooth. bushless ana stretching
to the south is perfect for cavalry and ar
tillery. On the right are low hills, and on
the left the Nile and flooded marshy coun-
try for miles eastward. Ahead to the right,
are Tuti island and Omdurman, the Mahdi's
tomb rising white and clear above an inter-
minable line of brown mud houses in the
center of the town."
The Times thinks there is no doubt that
its correspondent, Mr.. Howard, who was
killed, was assisting Colonel Rhodes No de-
tails have been received as to the latter's
wound, and the Times has no special ac-
count of the battle. The estimate of the
losses are very vague. On the British side
the figures range from sixty to 300, and on
the Dervish from 1900 to 10000
Belated accounts of General Kitchener's
advance show that during the last two days
before the battle the Dervish advance
parties continually fell back. Most of the
correspondents agree that had the Khalifa
remained in the city it would have been a
terrible task to storm Omdurman. An i'm
While traversing the bush the troops found
deserted village, from which the inhabit-
ants had evidently been driven into Omdur-
man by the Dervishes, who had then fired
the village. Many bodies were found there
proving that there had been resistance on
the part of the natives.
The morning paper editorials resound with
congratulations upon the ayenging of Cor
don, and are full of eulogy of Baron Gro
mer, the British financial adviser to the
Khedve, General Kitchener and all con-
cerned in the splendid success. All day yes
terday the impressive scenes were witnessed
at Gordon's statue in Trafalgar square,
London. Early in the morning the statue
was wreathed and decorated with placard
bearing the words: AT Last" The police
removed altogether three such placards, but
the demonstrations continued. The news of
the overthrow of the Khalifa has caused
entire satisfaction in Italy.
SITUATION IN SUDAN.