The San Francisco call., 1898-04-09
VICTORY FOR
 BRITISH ARMS Most Brilliant Battle Ever Fought in the
 SOudan.
MahmOud Pasha's Army Prac- tically Wiped Out of
 Existence.
The Leader Himself Captured With Four Thousand of His
 Warriors.
Special Dispatch to The Call.

tian forces, under the Sirdar, General Sir Herbert Kitchener, attacked the Dervishes' position at 735 this morning and rushed Mahmouds Zariba, the cen- ter of his Notifications, without check. The attack was entirely successful, and the Dervshes lost very heavily.
 The Anglo-Egyptian force, after night march, arrived at dawn before the enemy's camp. When the trenches of the Dervishes had been bombarded, the whole Anglo-Egyptian force made brilliant rush for the Zariba and the trenches. The Dervishes stood their ground bravely and reserved their fire until the attacking force was quite close to them. Mahmoud, the Dervish general, was among the prisoners cap tured.
 AS this dispatch was sent the Anglo Egyptian cavalry with Maxim guns and batteries were pursuing the fugitives.
 The loss of the Anglo Egyptian forces includes Captain Urquhart of the Cam eron Highlanders and Lieutenant Gore of the Seaforth Highlanders. killed, and ten officers of the British Brigade and four British officers in the Egyptian service, wounded.
 ATBARA CAMP, Nubia, April B. The Sirdars' force numbered 12,000 men. with twenty-four guns, under Colonel Long, and twelve Maxims. The enemy left Shandy with 19,000 men, but they have suffered a bit from assertions since.
 The enemy was at first practically concealed underground in a strong gar iba, running around the whole position. We reached Mahmouds position at 6 a. m. to-day. The enemy was evidently aware of our approach. After an hour of heavy bombardment the brigades were formed up and carried the posi- tion at the point of the bayonet, under a tremendous fire from the enemy.
 The zariba was torn away, but the enemy obstinately clung to the trenches and were bayoneted in them. During the whole admirable bombardment by Colonel Long, not a single dervish was visible.
 Mahmoud was captured by the Tenth Soudanese battalion. He was under ground the whole time his men were fighting. Osman Digna fled as usual. The prisoners say that Mahmoud' s forces were deserting in large numbers before the battle. The enemys guns, baggage, animals and standards were captured.
 Our loss would have been much heav- fer if the enemy had not fired high.
 The Dervish fire was very heavy and the British loss was mostly before reaching the zariba. Colonel Murray had his horse shot under him and was wounded in the arm. The enemy cer- tainly behaved with great bravery. The prisoners say they lost heavily by the bombardment before the advance
 Some of the enemy tried to break across the river at an early stage, but were driven back by the Dervishes' horsemen.
 The rockets under Captain Beatty set the enemys camp afire in many places. Bashardi Redi fell at the head of his men.
 The authorities call to-day's battle the most brilliant ever fought in the Soudan, everything having been car ried straight through without a hitch or a check. Inside the zariba there was an astonishing labyrinth of earth works.
 I have been all over the Dervish po- sition and estimate their dead at more than 2000. The night march was as weird as that of Tel-el-Kebir. Egyp- tians, Soudanese and British strove to be first in the race and to be first in the attack. AS usual several brigades claim the honor.
 The enemy opened with such a ter rife fire that our men were dropping on all sides. It was as venomous a fusillade as troops were ever called upon to face.
 Mahmoud's army is practically wiped out Four thousand of his followers have been taken prisoners and he him. self has been caught hiding in a hole under a bed. He is a tall, dignified, sensuous looking, black baggara, about 35 years of age. with shaved head. When taken he was dressed in a richly embroidered robe.