Lincoln County leader. [volume] (Toledo, Lincoln County, Or.) 1893-1987, 1898-09-09
BLOODY BATTLE IN EGYPT
Taking Of omdurman by
the British.
COMPLETE RoUT OF DERvIsHEs
Massed Tribes Unable to Withstand the
whitening Fire of Modern Ordnance
Gallant Charge of the British.

the Nile, Nubia, Sept. 6.-The sirdar,
General Herbert Kitchener, with the
khalifa's g black standard captured dur
ing the battle, entered Omdurman, the
capital of Mahdiam at o'clock this
afternoon, at the head of the Anglo
Egyptian column, after completely
routing the dervishes and dealing
death blow to Mahdim. Roughly, our
losses were 200, while thousands of the
dervishes were killed and wounded.
Last night the Ang Egyptian army
encamped at Agaiza, eight miles from
Omdurman. The dervishes were three
miles distant. At dawn today,
the cavalry patIolling toward Omdur-
man discovered the enemy advancing
to the attack in battle array, chanting
war songs. Their frcnt consisted of in
fantry and cavalry, stretched out for
three or four miles. Countless banners
fiuttered over their masses, and the
copper and brass drums resounded
| through the ranks OF the savage war
riors, who advanced unswervingly,
with all their old-time ardor. Our
infantry formed up outside the camp.
At 1870 A. M. the enemy crowded
the ridges above the camp and ad-
vanced steadily in enveloping forma-
tion. At 740 our artillery opened fire,
which was answered by the dervish
riflemen. Their attack developed on
our left, and in accordance with their
traditional tactics, they swept down
the hillside, with the design OF rushing
our flank, But the whitening fire
maintained for 10 minutes by all our
line frustrated the attempt, and the
dervishes, balked, swept toward our
center, upon which they concentrated a
fierce attack.
A large force OF horsemen, trying to
face continuous hail of bullets from
the Cameron Highlanders, the Lincoln
shire regiment and the Soudanese, was
literally swept away, leading to the
withdrawal of the entire body, whose
dead strewed the field.
The bravery of the dervishes can
hardly be overestimated. Those who
carried the flags struggled to within
100 yards of our fighting line.
When the dervishes withdrew behind
the ridge in front of their camp, the
whole force marched in echelon of bat
talions toward Omdurman.
AS our troops surmounted the crest
adjoining the Nile, the Soudanese on
our right came into contact with the
Remick, who had reformed under cover
of a rocky eminence, and had marched
beneath the black standard of the kha-
lifa in order to make a supreme effort
to retrieve the fortunes of the day. A
mass $4,000 strong bore down on the
Soudanese.
General Kitchener swung round the
center and left of the Soudanese and
seized the rocky eminence, and the
Egyptians, hitherto in reserve, Joined
the firing line in 10 minutes, and be-
fore the dervishes could drive their at
tack home. The flower OF the khalifa's
army was caught in a depression and
within zone of whitening cross fire
from three brigades, with the attendant
artillery. The devoted Mahdis strove
heroically to make headway. but every
rush was stopped, while their main
body was literally mown down by a sus.
tanned cross-fre.
Defantly the dervishes planted theil
standards and died beside them. Thei,
dense masses gradually melted to com.
panies, and the companies to driblets
beneath the leaden hail Finally they
broke and fed, leaving the field white
with Jibbah-clad corpses, like a snow
drift dotted spot.
At l1:l5 the sirdar ordered an ad.
vance and our whole force, in line
drove the scattered remnants into the
desert to Omdurman.
Among the chief incidents of the hat.
tie was brilliant charge by the
Twenty-frst Lancers, under Lieutenant
Colonel Martin. Galloping down on q
detached body of the enemy they fount
the dervish swordsmen massed behind
and were forced to charge home against
appalling odds. The lanoers hacked
through the mass. rallied and kept the
dervish horde at bay. Lieutenan,
Grenfelt, nephew OF General Sir Franci,
Grenfelt, was killed, four other officer,
were wounded, 2l men were killed ant
, 20 wounded.
The Egyptian cavalry were in close
r fighting throughout with the Baepara
| horsemeu. For short period the
enemy captured and held gun, but Il
{ was brilliantly retaken.
The heroic bravery OF the deryishe,
evoked universal admiration. Time
after time their dispersed and broken
forces reformed and hurled themselye.
upon the Anglo Egyptians, their emir,
conspicuously leading and spurnino
death. Even when wounded and in
death agonies they raised themselves tC
I fire last shot.