The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1898-09-19

circumstances that sometimes put men in
greater prominence than their fellows, rose
at bound to the leader of the rebels in
the Eastern Sudan. He called himself III
Aahdi," which, by translation, is the Re-
FORMER, and preached deliverance from
the yoke of oppression TO his followers.
He appealed to their religious prejudices,
declared that he had been sent by
heaven to their aid, and in short time had
rallied around him an army whose num-
bers alone would have made it formidable.
But he had not numbers alone to rely
upon. His men were armed with rifles of
the latest make, which English cupidity had
supplied them. There were expert shots
among them-Arabs who could kill flying
antelope. Moreover, they were quick to
train their eyes over the sights Of the guns
which they captured in their first assaults
upon the fortified camps. Lastly they were
fired with religious hate by the DervisheS.
who formed no inconsiderable portion of
their numbers, and who rushed on death
with the frenzy and fearlessness which have
always been characteristic of the Moham-
medan warriors.
Mohammed Achmet entered upon a career
OF pillage and worse. He seemed to bear a
charmed life, and imbued his soldiers with
the idea that he was possessed of superna-
tural powers. Tribe after tribe gave in its
allegiance to him, and his control was al
most supreme Egyptian troops which were
sent against him were butchered.
AN INvINCIBLE FOE.
Even the English soldiers were powerless
in his path. On Sept. 9, 1888. Hicks Pacha,
a veteran of India and Abyssinia, led
force of ten thousand mixed troops against
the Mahdi. He left Khartum resolving to
strike across the desert to Ell Obeid. For
weeks nothing was heard of him. Then one
day solitary messenger staggered into
Khartum. He brought the intelligence that
Hicks Pacha with his entire army, had been
surrounded and destroyed. Other expedi-
lions met the same fate In all the CAM
palgns in Englands proud history. in all
a w hot chn hos rrafa ch1a
never suffered many defeats as she did
at the hands of Mohammed Achmet, the re-
former, son of Abdullah
General Gordon was prevailed upon to
once more take charge of affairs In the
Sudan. He was once more appointed gov
ernor general, with full power to act as he
saw fit Right where the White and Blue
Niles join to form the mighty river famous
IN IN history history lay Khartum opposite the ruins ms
Khalifa's present capital.
When Gordon reached Khartum with
slender force in the spring of 1884 it was
tan and English soldiers The siege of
Khartum by the Mahdi and the ultimate
capture of the city, resulting in the killing
OF brave Gordon, are too we'll known to the
world to require a retelling at this time.
All that is past and gone. Our story has
more TO do with the present-with Kitche-
ner, to whom has been intruSted the tardy
avenging of Gordon Even before he went
to Egypt Kitchener had had an eventful
career, full of valuable experience. 1t was,
the British army, that Kitchener inherited
his soldierly instincts. and soon as he
was able TO know his own mind he chose
soldering for his profession. He received
his education at the Royal Military Acad-
envy at Woolwich. and entered the Royal
Engineers as lieutenant in 1871.
three years to join the survey of western
Palestine. and after the attack on the party
at Safed he returned to London. The rowing
lie of surveying and exploring suited
Kitchener admirably, and he went out to
the Holy Land on surveying expeditions
three times on the last occasion as sole
commander of the expedition for the sur
vey of Galilee.
In 1878 the administration of the Island of
cyprus was taken over by Great Britain.
and some one was wanted to organize the
land courts. Kitchener was chosen to do
the arduous work. After that he was ap-
pointed vice consul in the parts round
about Erzeroum, and after spending some
time in this capacity, he returned to Cy-
prus, explored every nook and Granny of
the island and laid down the official map.
READY FOR FIGHTING.
But ten years of civil employment had
not diminished his military ardor one whit,
and, having had enough of surveying, he
turned his attention once more toward the
army. For some time past Egypt had been
more or less in a state of anarchy, and of
all its institutions that of the army was
perhaps in the worst condition. When he
heard that it was to be reorganized by Brit
ish officers he volunteered, and his past
services were not forgotten.
While governor general Of the Red sea
l1ttoral and ccmmandant at Suakin he sa w
active service, and while leading five hun
dred mixed troops at HANDFUL he was badly
wounded and had to go to Cairo for repairs
was besieged by the Dervishes and Kitchen
er, now recovered from his INJURIES hurried
to the. front He fought all through the
campaign under the generalShip of Sir
Francis Grenfell, particularly distinguish
ing himself at Suakin. Kitchener also COM
manded brigade at the action of Canal
zah and again at the battle of Toski, seven
miles from the Nile, where Sir Francis
Grenfell broke the advance of the Dervishes
of the cavalry and for his services was
mentioned in the dispatches and made
a G. b.
A life of action like Kitchener's is. of
and exciting adventure. His wanderings in
Palestine, the Sudan, the Mediterranean,
but have been filled with thrilling episodes.
Sir Horatio, however, has all a great man s
modesty and won't talk of himself, but if
he would give the rein to his tongue he
could tell stirring stories of his own per-
sonal experience such as are not dreamed
of in the widest flights of fiction.
He has been twice shot at by Bedouins,
nearly murdered in Palestine and has mar
rowly escaped being hanged as a, spy, be-
sides the ordinary risks incurred in different
battles. His delight in finding out for him.
self the mysteries and wonders of the Orient
has led him into many deals of villainy
from which escape seemed well nigh inn
possible.
BECAME THE SIRDAR.
In 1892 he succeeded Sir Francis Grenfell
as sirdar, or commander-in-chief, Of the
Egyptian army, his local rank being lieu
tenant general. After the fall of Dongola
in the summer of 1896 he was made a major
general on the British list and a K. c. B.,
specially promoted for distinguished service
in the field. Since then he has constructed
a railway three hundred miles toward Ber-
Der, reoccupied that town and the valley
of the Nile as far as the Atbara river and
has smashed the best troops of the Khalifa
When the expedition for the relief of
khartum was set on foot Kitchener was
chosen for the post of danger. lie was sent
forward to Debbeh to keep up communities
ton with Gordon, and although he failed
to keep in touch it was not due to any lack
of skill or energy on his part, but owing 10
the stringent and vacillating instructions
which he daily received from Cairo which
made all his efforts futile.
After the fall of Khartum and the col
lapse of the expedition Kitchener resigned
army and returned to London. The author
tiles recognized that Kitchener had not only
done his best, but that be had shown more
skill and courage in his unsuccessful at
tempt than might have been expected under
the circumstances, and he was promoted.
Interesting as is the personality of the
man who is at the head of those intrepid
soldiers. the men themselves are equally in
teresting. and even more picturesque. Apart
from the work of conducting an arduous
campaign, Kitchener has practically had to
form the army with which to do it.
Out of the material at hand this was no
easy task, but the men who are now under
British leadership. marching VIGOROUSLY,
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